The Light in the Sky
by thegirlwiththetrident
Summary: Leo Valdez is working hard on the Argo II, when he saves a drowing girl. When she awakes, she has no memory of her previous life and no one knows where she came from. Will she be the one mentioned in the last part of the 2nd Great Prophecy? Or has she appeared in Leo's life for a whole different reason..? OC, suspense promised!
1. Chapter 1: The rescue

**So, this is my baby... A Mark of Athena fanfic with a twist. I added my (very important) OC and really hope you enjoy this. It's going to be quite long, so please stick with me and review! I really want to know what you guys think of it! I'll be updating soon...  
~thegirlwiththetrident**

Disclaimer: I only own my OC (and some of the plot), nothing else  


The Mark of Athena : Leo and Penelope's story

1. Leo

After working for eighteen hours straight on the Argo II, even Leo had had enough. Enough of fire, metal, shiny objects and tools and if he was saying that, it definitely meant something. After all, he was a son of Hephaestus, the god of forges, and normally he loved working on his giant trireme.  
But no, this time it had just been too much. He had had almost no break and his back was aching, his fingers were completely filthy and his head hurt.  
What Leo needed was a break, even if that meant having to face Annabeth, who was becoming something of a slave driver. Of course Leo could understand her wanting the Argo II to get finished, so that they could fly to Camp Jupiter and rescue her boyfriend, Percy Jackson, who had been missing for months, but sometimes even Leo needed to get away from Bunker 9.  
Piper and Jason, his two best friends, had suggested he come with them on a picnic they were planing on having underneath Thalia's tree on top of Half-Blood Hill, but Leo had politely declined. For one thing, he knew he'd just be the third wheel, even if Piper and Jason were trying their best not to make him feel that way.  
It had gotten awkward again since they'd restarted dating two months ago, and Leo wasn't in the mood for that.  
And for another, he knew exactly where he wanted to be right now. Somewhere that had nothing to do with fire, that wasn't cramped and that was, hopefully, void of anybody who could annoy him. What Leo wanted was the ocean. Luckily, he had one just a few minutes away, so that's where he was heading.

When Leo arrived at the beach, it was just as he had hoped. There wasn't a person in sight, and so he put down the blanket he'd brought, opened his cool can of soda and flopped down, instantly feeling his muscles relax. He felt completely at ease here, at the sea, with the slight ocean breeze ruffling his hair a tiny bit, blowing away his headache.  
A few seagulls flew overhead and in the distance he could hear the sound of the pegasi flying.  
After a while, Leo sat back up and stared at the ocean in front of him. He thought of Percy Jackson, Annabeth's missing boyfriend and a son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. That guy must be really powerful, Leo thought, if his dad could control all of that vastness in front of him.  
He hoped Percy really was at Camp Jupiter because he didn't think Annabeth would cope if he wasn't and also, he would feel like all the work put into the Argo II would have been for nothing.  
But no, Leo told himself, none of that. Percy'll be there and they're all be on their happy way to the ancient lands before long. Ready to meet the most dangerous threat any of them had ever encountered. Didn't that sound like fun?  
The ocean was a grey blueish colour today, and not a living thing was in sight as Leo's eyes scanned the horizon.  
Wait...actually there was something in the water, although Leo wasn't sure exactly _what_ is was.  
A dark shadow, like a bundle of robes...And then, all of a sudden a hand, a thin human hand bobbed out of the water, before sinking under again. It was a person, and by the looks of it, that person was drowning.  
Leo sprang up and raced to the water. He had barely time to think about how a boy with a fire affinity like him probably wasn't the best person to help a drowning one, but there was no time.  
He plunged into the icy water and swam, as fast as he could, towards the dark shape, which had sunk further under water. His heart was racing and Leo could hear the roaring of the waves in his ears.  
Adrenaline helped him to swim even faster, and before he knew it, he was where he had seen the hand go under. He looked down and there, maybe five feet below him was the dark bundle of cloth, with human limbs and a face sticking out of it, no longer thrashing around.  
Leo dived.  
His hands worked forcefully as he swam towards the person. Just then Leo made out the face and for a moment, he forgot he what he was doing, even that he was underwater.  
It was a girl, and a very, very pretty one at that.  
She had long, dark hair, that swirled around her face, which was pale in the water but perfectly featured. Her eyes were shut, but Leo knew they would be startling when they opened.  
_If_ they opened.

That thought brought Leo back to his senses, and he grabbed hold of the girl as best as he could and swam towards the surface, his lungs burning for air.  
They broke through and Leo gulped down big lungfuls of fresh, ocean breeze, as he put his arm around the girl and swam backwards, like Piper had shown him.  
It was difficult, but eventually they reached the shore, neither of them moving for a minute.  
Then, Leo sat up, and carried the girl further up to where his blanket was. His whole body hurt from the exhaustion, but Leo knew the girl wasn't out of danger yet. Her body was ice cold and her lips had turned blue. Leo checked her pulse, it was very fain, but definitely there.  
Right, he thought to himself, trying to sort out his jumbled up thoughts. We need to get you warm.  
He looked around for someone who could help him, but his wish from before had been granted, much to his agitation. There wasn't a single creature in sight.  
He was on his own.  
First, Leo wrapped his blanket around the girl as tightly as he dared. Then, on impulse, he put his hands on the blanket, and imagined them getting warm.  
Not catching fire, just transporting a lot of heat, through his body and into the girl. For a second nothing happened.  
Then, gradually, his handswarmed up and, with an immense effort to stop them from going up in flames, Leo warmed up the girl's body.  
It had worked! Leo felt elated for a second, until a tiny movement caught his eye.  
The girl's eyes opened, only a fraction, but enough for Leo to see a glint of intense turquoise.  
Her eyes focused on him, and a troubled expression crossed her face.  
"Leo?" she mumbled and then passed out again.  
Leo was stunned. How did she know his name? He was sure he would have remembered her if he'd met her before today.  
Maybe his mind, as exhausted as it was, had tricked him and she hadn't said his name at all...  
He decided to put the matter aside for a moment, as long as the girl was still in danger.  
He needed to get her to an Apollo healer, and quick, but Leo doubted he could carry her there. The rescue and the heating up of his hands, along with his 18 hour shift before had all but knocked Leo out.  
Just then, as if some god had sent her (which, come to think of it, maybe one had) a wood nymph walked over the crest of the little hill before them and towards the water, maybe wanting to talk to the water spirits. She didn't pay them any attention until Leo yelled  
"HEY! Over here! Help!"  
Then, she hurried over, looking very confused. Leo didn't give her any time to talk.  
"Go and get some Apollo kids, quick! This girl almost drowned and she hasn't moved since. Hurry!"  
Without a question, the wood nymph hushed back the way she had come and disappeared.  
Please Dad, Leo prayed fervently. Please let the girl be okay.  
He didn't know why he cared so much, but he was suddenly terrified that the girl might not make it.  
Afraid of her turning cold again, Leo held her close, trying to think positive, warm thoughts.  
Just then, a group of demigods hurried over to him.  
"What happened?" one of them, Ryan, asked as the others surrounded the girl. Leo told him the story and Ryan looked confused and scared.  
"That's a long time to be under water." he said, anxiously. "And she didn't say anything?"  
Leo hesitated. Should he mention her saying his name? A feeling in his gut told him not to, and so he decided to wait until he knew what that was all about before telling anyone else.  
"No" Leo said. "She hasn't even moved:"  
"Right." Ryan told his siblings.  
"We need to get her into the Big House, asap! Come on." A few demigods hoisted the girl up and ran off, but Ryan turned to Leo before he left with them.  
"You okay, Valdez? You look pale yourself."  
"I'm fine" Leo answered, untruthfully. "Just...take care of her okay?"  
Ryan nodded, and handed Leo a square of ambrosia.  
"I will. Just eat some of that, right? We don't want you passing out as well." Then, he hurried after the others, leaving Leo alone again.  
There was only one thought in Leo's mind, as he ate the ambrosia and made his own way back to camp, as quickly as he could: Who was that girl, and where had she come from?

**So, that's the first chapter! Follow to find out exactly who this mysterious girl is...**


	2. Chapter 2: Waking up

**Hello, thank you so much to the lovely people who reviewed the first chapter! I can't PM you, so I'll just thank you here :)  
Anyways, this is the second chapter! Read, hopefully enjoy and then review, as simple as that ;-)  
Disclaimer's same as the chapter before  
~thegirlwiththetrident**

Chapter two:

When Leo arrived back at camp, he was immediately cornered by Jason and Piper, who had finished their picnic and had apparently seen the girl being carried into the Big House.  
"Leo!" Piper cried, hugging him. "Are you okay? Ryan told us what happened!"  
"Ow, Piper, you're squashing me!" he cried, but felt kind of pleased anyway. "I'm fine"  
he told his two best friends and then proceeded to explain exactly what had happened.  
He still left out the bit about the girl knowing his name, even though he normally told Jason and  
Piper everything. But this seemed like an important secret, so Leo kept it.  
"And you have no idea where she came from?" Jason asked, his eyes interested.  
Leo had thought that Jason might find this interesting as he himself had disappeared out of no-where as well.  
"Nope, absolutely no clue. She just kind of...popped up."  
They all shared a confused glance, and Piper opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Ryan, who was hurrying over to them  
"Hey, Valdez!" he called, slightly out of breath. "Chiron wants to see you."  
"How is she?" Leo found himself asking, more urgently than he had intended to.  
"She'll be fine, I reckon." Ryan said. "The odd thing is, she didn't have any water in her lungs at all, which you'd kind of expect, wouldn't you?"  
"No water? So what, she breathed _underwater _you mean?" Piper asked.  
"You don't think-" Jason started, but Leo cut him off  
"I don't think we can assume any thing just now, especially as we haven't even talked to her yet."  
his voice was a bit angry.  
Jason threw him a look, which Leo found hard to determine, and simply said "Okay."  
Leo murmured "See you later" to Jason and Piper and then followed Ryan back to the Big House,  
where Chiron was waiting for him on the porch.  
As Leo had expected, Chiron wanted to know everything that had happened, and Leo told him.  
"And she didn't move at all?" Chiron asked, and Leo felt like the centaur's eyes were x-raying him.  
"No." he said, but he didn't think Chiron bought it, although he didn't say anything.  
Instead, he told Leo "That was very brave, Leo Valdez. I'm proud of you."  
which made Leo go red.  
"Can I- can I see her?" he asked, tentatively.  
"I think so" Chiron said. "She just came round"  
And with that he walked off, and left Leo to enter the house on his own.  
The girl was in the sickroom, lying on a bed, half propped up with pillows. There was only one  
Apollo kid with her, who was giving her squares of ambrosia to eat.  
When Leo entered, the Apollo kid looked up, smiled, and left, leaving the two of them alone.  
The girl's eyes caught Leo's gaze, and he almost stopped moving.  
They were so brilliantly turquoise, Leo thought they must have been made out of diamonds, or something like that.  
For a moment, neither of them said anything and then, the girl opened her mouth:  
"Hello." she said, in a soft voice that sounded a little confused. "Who are you?"  
Leo was too stunned for a moment to speak. He had been certain that the girl was about to  
explain how she'd known his name, and where she'd come from, but instead she simply looked at him, puzzled.  
"You don't...know me?" Leo asked, carefully.  
This made the girl look down, and Leo was shocked to see tears sparkle in her bright eyes.  
"I'm sorry if I should."  
Without really thinking what that meant, Leo quickly tried to say something comforting.  
"Never mind, I'll just tell you!" he tried to sound impressive "I'm Leo Valdez, Bad Boy Deluxe."  
This did seem to cheer the girl up, and she smiled but then her eyes grew wide.  
"_You're _Leo?" she yelped.  
"Yeah?" Leo's answer sounded more like a question.  
"You saved my life, Ryan said." the girl told him, looking him directly in the eyes. "Thank you, Leo."  
He could feel his cheeks heating up again.  
"That's, er, okay." he mumbled, probably sounding like a complete idiot.  
"So, do you know where you are?"  
Why couldn't she remember saying his name? Leo wondered, but decided not to press the matter just now, as the girl seemed pretty unsettled.  
"Well, the other boy, Ryan, said I'm at Camp..uh...Pure Blood or something?"  
This made Leo laugh "Pure-Blood? Nah, this is Camp Half-Blood! The best place in the world for demigods!"  
An unsure look passed over the girl's face. "Demigods? What do you mean? Like, half god?"  
"Yup" Leo confirmed. "So, who's side have you got it on?"  
"I don't know" the girl looked troubled again.  
"What do you mean, you don't know? Like which parent did you never know? Mum or Dad?"  
Still, the girl didn't seem to have an answer. She simply looked at him, that lost and kind of scared look in her eyes that Leo knew very well. It was the same way he'd looked when he'd been running away, all those years ago.  
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice low.

"I-I don't know." the girl stuttered, the lost look growing horribly intense "The last thing I know, I was in the water, and then I got pulled under and next thing, I woke up here. I can't remember anything else. My memory...it's gone."

Leo couldn't say anything for a few seconds. This couldn't be happening again.  
Then he noticed how insensitive he was being, and tried to find his voice again.  
"Can't you...can't you remember anything from your past?" his voice was still very quiet.  
A single tear trickled down the girl's cheek.  
"My name" she said, sadly. "Penelope."


	3. Chapter 3: Welcome

**Chapter three, yuppie! Thanks for the reviews, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well!  
I only own my OC, nothing else.  
Don't forget to review!  
~thegirlwiththetrident  
P.S: The story will be Leo's POV unless said otherwise  
**

Chapter three: Welcome

Penelope. Leo thought, sounding out the name in his head.  
It was a nice name, long but pleasant, like someone singing a song. It suited her, he decided.  
Penelope was sitting there, her head in her hands, silent but definitely desperate.  
"That's a nice name" Leo told her to cheer her up "Any last one?"  
She looked up, obviously trying hard to remember something. "I think...something starting with _R_"  
Leo almost laughed at the strained face she was making, but knew that would be totally inappropriate.  
"Penelope R. then it is" he smiled at her, earning a little sad smile back.  
"Hey," Leo's voice was soft "Don't worry, it'll be okay. This sort of thing happened to my best friend, Jason, and he got his memory back sooner or later. And for now, you're safe here, and  
believe me, this place is really cool."  
He hoped he'd succeeded in comforting her, and she did look a little happier.  
"Do you live here?" she asked, gesturing around the room, meaning the house.  
"Oh no" Leo laughed. "I live in cabin nine, the best and coolest cabin there is!"  
"Cabin?" she asked, confused.  
Leo realised she hadn't seen anything here at camp except the inside of this room, so he decided that a little tour might cheer her up.  
"Come one" he grinned, offering his hand to help her out of bed "I'll show you around."  
Penelope hesitated, then smiled and took his hand. They walked out of the Big House and, with a swiping motion of his hand, Leo said  
"Welcome, to Camp Half-Blood!"

They walked through Camp, Leo showing Penelope everything: the amphitheatre, the pavilion, the lake and strawberry fields, the edge of the forest, although here he decided that actually going in might be a little to risky at the moment.  
All the while Leo kept up a constant flow of conversation, trying to distract Penelope and cheer her up. She was a good listener, and soon he found himself telling her about when he'd found out he was a demigod and his first quest with Jason and Piper.  
Penelope looked impressed, yet also a little, Leo wasn't quite sure how to name it, melancholic maybe?  
"You're really brave" she said, matter of factly, but Leo felt himself blush anyway.  
"Not really" he mumbled, casting around for something cool to say. Instead he saw where they had arrived and stated, with an air of a tv-presentator "And these are the cabins!"  
They were standing right in the middle of the low buildings, each one marked with the symbol of its god or goddess.  
"You sleep here according to who your parent is?" Penelope gathered. Leo nodded, naming each of the cabins' gods.  
"You're a son of Hephaestus" she said, not asking.  
"Yeah, how did you know?" Leo wondered, but then realised that he wasn't really hard to define what with his caroused hands and tool belt he always wore.  
"How do I know which one's mine?" Penelope asked, looking around uncertainly.  
"Well, normally your godly parent claims you when you're 13, but sometimes they're a bit late.  
I only got claimed when I arrived here. How old are you?" the question had left Leo's lips before he could stop it.  
"I don't know" Penelope said, but she didn't look angry at Leo's insensitivity, simply sad.  
"You look around 16 or 17" Leo told her, quickly. "Does any of the cabins feel, I don't know, _right _to you?"  
He didn't know if this would work, but it was worth a try anyway. Penelope walked around the buildings, taking her time to look at each one in turn. Leo noticed that she seemed to linger in front of two longer than any of the others: Poseidon's and Hecate's.  
When she returned to his side she looked, if possible, even more confused.  
"Well the one over there" she pointed at Hecate's cabin "feels...strong. But that one" and now she motioned to the Poseidon one "that one seems familiar as well. What does that mean?"  
Leo shook his head, he had no idea. It sure was odd though.  
Was Penelope a child of Hecate? She certainly seemed kind of magical to him, what with her dark hair (which shimmered slightly red in the sunlight) and bright, diamond eyes. But then why did the Poseidon cabin draw her attention, too?  
Unless...No, that was impossible. Or was it? Could this girl have _two _godly parents? But then that wouldn't make her a demigod. She would be something else...  
Just then, a shout brought Leo out of his reverie. He looked up to see Annabeth hurrying over.  
"There you are Leo! I've been looking all over for you!" She stopped as she noticed Penelope at his side.  
"Is this-" "That's Penelope" Leo interrupted her, suddenly protective. "I found- she arrived at camp

this morning."  
Annabeth smiled at Penelope, who looked a bit afraid.  
Leo could relate, Annabeth had scared the Hades out of him the first time they'd met. Those grey eyes just seemed to peer right inside you, and always looked like they were calculating a million different means to outsmart you.  
The daughter of Athena could be a bit intimidating, but now she had a kind look on her face, as she  
said:  
"Nice to meet you, Penelope. I'm Annabeth. Ryan told me your story and I'm really sorry that you're lost. But don't worry, you're welcome here and we'll help you get your memory back."  
Through all of this, Annabeth's voice stayed very sincere, and Leo felt glad.  
Penelope would be needing some friends, that was sure. She herself smiled at Annabeth:  
"Thanks, Annabeth. You're a daughter of Athena, aren't you?"  
"Yes, how did you know?" Annabeth asked, surprised.  
Penelope shrugged, "You just seem like it"  
Did she? Leo wondered, looking at the blonde girl. Well, the eyes, intelligent and scrutinising, were a give a way he supposed. However she was also pretty enough to be a daughter of Aphrodite. Then again, so was Penelope...  
"So" Annabeth wanted to know "Any idea on who your godly parent might be?"  
Penelope pointed again at the two cabins, Hecate's and Poseidon's. "Those two seem more familiar to me than the rest. But maybe that's just coincidence."  
Annabeth's eyes widened. "Po-Poseidon's?" she asked, a slight quaver in her voice.  
Leo instantly felt sorry for her. Annabeth's boyfriend, Percy Jackson, was a son of the sea god and had gone missing several months before.  
Then, only a few weeks ago, they had found out that Jason and Percy had been swapped by  
the very annoying goddess Hera, placing Jason here and Percy at Jason's old home, Camp Jupiter, a camp for Roman half-bloods.  
Yet they didn't know for sure if Percy was there, or if the Romans hadn't already killed him.  
Romans and Greeks didn't usually get along.  
"Yes" Penelope said "Poseidon. Does that mean anything to you?"  
Annabeth didn't answer, but instead asked her another question. "Listen, Penelope. Can you  
remember...Is there anything you remember from your life before?"  
Leo thought he knew why Annabeth was asking this. Jason had lost his memory, so it was probable that Percy had lost his, too. And now Annabeth wanted to find out if Percy still knew who she was.  
Leo could only imagine what that must feel like.  
Penelope looked at her, sombrely. "My name." she said.  
Annabeth gulped. "Your name" she repeated. "Nothing else?"  
Sadly, Penelope shook her head. "No, nothing, except that I was in the sea before I got here. Why are you asking?"  
She didn't sound nosy, only concerned, which Leo thought was kind of sweet, as, after all, it was _her_ who was suffering from amnesia, not Annabeth.  
With a moments hesitation, Annabeth told Penelope the whole story of Hera's plan. At the mention of her boyfriends name, Percy Jackson, the briefest change of expression flitted across Penelope's face. Was it recognition? But it passed so quickly, Leo couldn't be sure.  
When Annabeth had finished, Penelope looked horrified. "Oh my god, Annabeth, I'm so sorry!"  
Annabeth nodded, coughed and then said, "Well, er, dinner will be ready soon. So, see you there."  
She walked away, but turned back once and called out "And Penelope?"  
"Ye s?"  
"Two things: Your accent's British, I think. And maybe you'll be claimed at the camp fire tonight."  
She smiled, and left.  
Penelope looked at Leo, a hopeful expression on her face. "My accent's British? So I'm from Europe?"  
"Probably" Leo answered, trying to wrap his head around this whole situation. "Or maybe your mortal parent is. Anyway- you hungry?"  
She nodded eagerly and together they set off towards the dining pavilion.  
Unnoticed by her, Leo watched Penelope walking next to him. There was an aura about her, that Leo found intriguingly mysterious.  
This evening's not over yet, he thought as they arrived at the dining pavilion.  
He didn't know it then, but he was about to be proven right. 


	4. Chapter 4: Claimed

**Hey there!  
This chapter's a little short, but there'll be a longer one after it, so don't worry ;-)  
Thank you so much to everyone who's already reviewed this, and to the ones who haven't: Please do!  
Hope you enjoy this!  
I only own my OC  
~thegirlwiththetrident**

Chapter four: Claimed

Diner was...interesting. Now that every camper had to be determined at 13, there was no table for  
undetermined ones.  
It used to be the Hermes' one, but that was already packed, so Chiron (who had welcomed Penelope upon their arrival at the pavilion) gave Penelope special permission to sit at the Hephaestus' table  
with Leo.  
The others all treated her nicely, but a couple of times Leo saw his sibling looking at the new camper with confusion.  
He could relate, though.  
Penelope was so difficult to place: Normally, a camper could be determined even without his godly parent, by some trait all of that god's or goddess's children shared.  
Not Penelope though. It wasn't as if she didn't fit in anywhere, more like everywhere.  
She was very pretty, like the Aphrodite kids, clever like the Athena ones, had the still concentration Leo had noticed the Apollo campers had when fixing their eyes on a target, but then she also seemed to give off a bit of a charged, dangerous vibe, like Jason sometimes did.  
And then of course, there was her inclination to Hecate, which Leo, after spending the evening with her, didn't question at all.  
Penelope simply had a mystical, powerful aura, one that Leo thought she probably wasn't aware of.  
It was the same as the Hecate's campers, of whom there were only three others.  
Leo had never interacted much with them (not that he interacted much with anyone or anything lately that wasn't metal or couldn't breathe fire) but he'd always thought of them as extremely intelligent, extremely mysterious and sorta scary demigods.  
Kind of like Athena campers gone bad-ass.  
Yes, Penelope would fit in there.  
Yet still she kept glancing at the empty Poseidon table, fingering her necklace, which Leo hadn't noticed before.  
It was a design of sparkling white and purple diamonds, which hung on a black leather cord.  
Leo wondered how he hadn't seen it before, and why Penelope hadn't mentioned it, as if she knew it was supposed to be there. He made a mental note to ask her about it later.  
Before they ate, as everyone burnt a bit of their food for his or her godly parent, Leo heard Penelope mutter something:  
"Please, mum, dad, whomever I belong to out there. Please, help me."  
It sounded very afraid, but when Penelope turned to him, she smiled, bravely. Leo knew the face she put on all too well, having worn it often enough himself.  
At the camp fire, Annabeth sat next to Penelope and Leo, which he thought was nice.  
She gave Penelope a smile and the girl returned it, looking grateful.  
At one point, Jason and Piper came over, and introduced themselves. They were very nice to Penelope, Jason perhaps a little more so.  
Leo saw how intrigued his friend was with the new girl, and he understood why.  
Jason sat down next to Leo, followed by Piper, and then all of them joined in the singing.  
He was surprised to hear Penelope join in after two songs (albeit so quietly that he doubted anyone could hear but himself) and found himself fascinated by her high, crystal clear voice.  
Listening to Penelope singing was similar to being exposed to Piper's charmspeak, Leo thought dreamily.  
Just then, Penelope caught his eyes, and for a second he swore hers flashed dark purple as she smiled at him.  
And then, there was a collective gasp, as suddenly a symbol appeared above her head, shining softly against the dark night behind her.  
Leo recognised the symbol as a claim mark immediately, having had a flaming hammer appear above his own head, only months before.  
However the image above Penelope wasn't a hammer.  
Shining there were two twin torches, burning with flickering fire. It was Hecate's sign.  
But there were mutterings in the crown, confused whispers, and Leo thought he knew why.  
The mark of Hecate was usually purple, like the stones that the Hecate's cabin was made of.  
Not this one though.  
Instead of purple, the sign above Penelope's head glowed a different colour:  
A deep, dark, ocean blue.


	5. Chapter 5: Getting settled

**Hello my lovelies.  
Chapter five where Penelope's first proper day at camp starts!  
And we find out something very important about the 2****nd**** Great Prophecy...  
What, you ask? Well, you'll have to go and read it if you want to find out, I'm afraid!  
Hope you enjoy, and review!  
I don't own Rick Riordan's characters, just Penelope :)  
~thegirlwiththetrident **

Chapter five: Getting settled

Leo woke up the next morning and his first thought was to go to the Argo II immediately and continue his work.  
It wouldn't be long now until the trireme was finished, Leo was simply adding "the trimmings" and the furniture for the rooms.  
But then he remembered what had happened yesterday, and the new arrival at Camp Half-Blood:  
Penelope, daughter of Hecate.  
Nobody had been able to explain why Penelope's claim mark had been blue instead of purple, as was usual for Hecate.  
Chiron had said that it might have something to do with the position the gods were in currently:  
Torn between their Roman and Greek personalities, confused and separated from the civilisation.  
A colour mix-up, the centaur had told them, was probably not that unusual at a time like this.  
This explanation had seemed to satisfy the others, safe four people: A look of unease and suspicion had passed between Chiron and Annabeth, noticed only by Leo, who thought the "explanation" was rubbish. And the fourth person person who had seemed unbelieving had been: Penelope herself.  
She had been surrounded by her new siblings right after getting claimed, before being swept off to Cabin twenty, and Leo hadn't been able to say anything to her.  
She'd thrown him a last look though, a look full of different emotions: happiness and relief, but also confusion and, Leo thought, fear.  
He sincerely hoped that Penelope had been given a good welcome in her cabin, and that maybe her amnesia had cleared a bit.  
Although Leo had only known the girl a day, he felt a strong connection to her.  
He had, after all, saved her life, plus she was clever, pretty, and, Leo suspected, quite funny actually.  
She'd probably make a good friend.  
When he'd finished getting dressed, Leo had changed his plans: First, he would go check on Penelope and _then_ he'd continue his work on the ship.  
Luckily, one of the Hecate campers was passing when Leo went outside.  
"Hey, Chleo!" he called and Chleo, whose full name was Cleopatra and who looked exactly like her namesake, turned to him.  
"What?" she asked, her dark eyes flashing.  
Leo shuddered. The Hecate lot simply gave him the creeps.  
"Have you seen Penelope?" he asked, trying hard to keep eye-contact.  
Chleo regarded him, as if she wasn't sure whether or not he was worthy of the information.  
Then, after another moment of silence, she said "My sister has gone to the Big House, she should be back soon." and with that she walked away.  
As Leo didn't dare interrupt a talk at the Big House, he sat down in front of his cabin and waited, thinking about the claiming last night.  
In some aspects, Penelope definitely qualified as a Hecate daughter, but in others she didn't. For one thing, she was much warmer than her siblings, and also seemed less sure of herself.  
Though of course that could be because of the amnesia thing.  
Leo wondered if Penelope was actually quite different from how she was behaving now.  
The thought scared him, somehow.  
She would have some pretty awesome powers though, Leo realised. He wasn't extremely good at the whole _which-god-has-which-power _kind of thing, but Hecate had always interested him more, because, well, her powers were simply wickedly cool, what with her being the goddess of the night, the moon and, coolest of all, magic.  
He couldn't quite remember everything, but Charmspeak, Binding, Transformation, Summoning objects, Teleportation, and Telekinesis had all definitely been on the list. There was more stuff, too, and although he knew that Penelope wouldn't be blessed with everyone of these gifts, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous.  
The thought of teleportation alone was just too sweet.  
Yet if Penelope really was that powerful, how had she survived before coming to camp?  
And, more importantly, where?  
At first Leo had thought that maybe she was Roman like Jason, but he hadn't known her. It was possible that Jason'd simply never noticed her at the Roman camp, or that she'd arrived after his disappearance, but this didn't sound like the answer to Leo.  
Then there was the fact that she'd known Leo's name, even if she couldn't remember that, or that the name "Percy Jackson" seemed to mean something to her.  
The whole situation was extremely confusing, and Leo could only imagine how awful it must be for Penelope.  
Suddenly Leo had a thought, but before he could quite wrap his mind around it, he saw a familiar figure coming towards him, dark hair glinting reddish in the sun light.  
"Leo!" Penelope smiled, looking genuinely happy to see him. Her hair was braided down one side, and she was wearing an orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and skinny jeans.  
"Hey there" Leo grinned "How's it going?"  
"Okay I guess" Penelope smiled, tentatively. Now that she was closer, he noticed the darkish circles underneath her eyes and the tired set of features.  
"Didn't you sleep very well?" he asked her.  
"Not really" she admitted. "I guess it's just a little overwhelming."  
"Probably" Leo agreed. "So, what are you up to today?"  
he wanted to know and a look of excitement crossed Penelope's face.  
"Annabeth's going to give me a proper introduction and then Chloe's going to show me some Hecate stuff." that last bit she said in a slightly hushed voice, as if she was excited, but a bit scared of what Chloe was going to show her.  
"Hecate's powers are pretty cool" Leo tried to motivate her, and Penelope nodded.  
"They are, and I don't think the others have told me everything yet. But it's also kind of...intimidating."  
Her tone was still a bit afraid, as if the idea of so much power frightened her. Leo tried to look understanding, and he did sorta get why Penelope was acting this way.  
She had no idea where she came from or who she was, and then she arrived at a camp for demigods, got claimed by one of the more mysterious goddesses and told she was probably able to do tons of stuff, half of which was really powerful and probably quite dangerous. It was a bit much to take in.  
"It'll be fine" Leo consoled her.  
"Will I see you today?" she suddenly asked him and then added, blushing "Sorry, I don't want to annoy you or anything. It's just...a friendly face you know?"  
She seemed pretty worried that she'd said something wrong, but Leo wasn't annoyed at all.  
On the contrary, he was pleased that Penelope wanted to see him.  
"How about we meet at the lake later?" he suggested and Penelope's face lit up.  
"That would be great" she said. "Four sound good?"  
Leo nodded and they said goodbye.  
The whole morning Leo couldn't help but feel happy. His new friend seemed to be adjusting to camp life and he had finally gotten all the furniture delivered that he was planing to put in the ship. When he arrived at Bunker nine, he set to work immediately.  
The first room he did was his own (obviously the most important) and it turned out just as awesome as Leo had pictured it.  
There were shifting scenes on the walls, adjustable to his mood, his own mini-bar full of the magic plates and goblets that could summon just about every delicious thing he craved, and of course his huge, state-of-the-art hundred hand massage bed.  
Leo almost decided to take a nap, but he knew that if he laid down now, he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.  
So, instead, he moved on to the next room: The lost one.  
Okay, so the room itself wasn't actually lost, but it was planed for the lost one, even though none of them really knew who that might be, or when they would arrive.  
A shudder passed through Leo as he remembered that evening a few weeks ago when Rachel had told them, in a raspy, quiet voice, the second part of the Great Prophecy:  
_The lost one shall join the seven,  
a child of the light in heaven  
_Rachel had started to say more, something like "_though the source of mighty power_" but then she'd coughed and keeled over, unable to remember anything afterwards.  
None of them had known what to make of this, but it was decided that Leo should add another room to the trireme, "just to make sure" as Annabeth had said.  
Leo didn't like it, because that last bit hadn't sounded too good, and so he tried to make the room extra nice.  
When he finished it, he fixed a few more things on deck and then, checking his watch, decided to call it a day and get back to his cabin to change.  
It was already quarter past three and he didn't want to keep Penelope waiting.


	6. Chapter 6: At the lake

**Hiya!  
Next chapter for you here! It's not too long, but I hope you like it anyway, and don't forget to  
r-e-v-i-e-w!  
I only own my OC, nothing else.  
Enjoy!  
~thegirlwiththetrident**

Chapter six: At the lake

They met as arranged at four, at the side of the lake.  
Penelope looked slightly flushed, but that only made her eyes shine brighter.  
"Hey there magic girl!" Leo called, grinning at Penelope, who grinned back.  
"Have a nickname already, do I?" she asked and they sat down on the grass.  
"So tell me" Leo said, enthusiastically. "How was your day?"  
Penelope smiled before she answered. "It was pretty good. Everybody's been really nice, especially Annabeth. And class with Chleo was...interesting."  
Leo waited for her to elaborate, but she didn't and he felt awkward asking.  
"How was yours?" she asked him then, and he hesitated, twirling a bit of grass between his fingers.  
Should he tell her about his work on the Argo II? About the second Great Prophecy?  
It seemed like a big thing to entrust somebody with whom he'd only known for two days.  
Annabeth had told her about Percy, and Hera switching Jason and him to unite the two camps, but she hadn't really explained what the goddesses' ultimate goal had been. Should Leo tell her?  
It didn't seem like a very sensible thing to do, they hardly knew her after all.  
But then again, how could Penelope be untrustworthy, if she couldn't even remember her own past?  
"Okay. I was building, er, stuff" he finally answered, and he knew that it was obvious he was hiding something.  
"Building what?" Penelope laughed, but when Leo didn't answer, her face fell, although she tried to hide it.  
"I'm sorry Leo. I know that you guys have secret stuff going on, and that I'm an outsider here.  
Please, I wasn't trying to be nosy." she looked away towards the lake, but not before Leo hadn't noticed a watery sparkle in her turquoise eyes.  
"Don't worry about it, magic girl. I know you weren't trying to be nosy, there's just some stuff I can't tell you – yet." Leo's voice was softer than usual, but she still didn't look at him.  
"And you're not an outsider" he added "Hey, anybody who's had his memory wiped is like a VIP around here!"  
This made her laugh and they changed the subject, Leo telling her about the different monsters in the woods and talking about capture the flag, which they would be playing that night.  
At the mention of the game, Penelope shifted uncomfortably.  
"What's up?" Leo asked her.  
"Nothing, it's just...I've heard the Hecate cabin is really good at that game, especially with Athena and Apollo as their allies, like tonight. What if I do something to mess it up?"  
Her face looked so cute when she worried, Leo had to smile a little.  
"Well, if you mess up, your siblings will turn you into a frog and the Athena kids will then feed you to one of their owls while the Apollo kids sing a death march." he said this very seriously, and for a moment Penelope looked genuinely worried before Leo cracked up again and she hit his shoulder.  
"Leo! That's not nice!"  
"Aw, come on Pen, you should've seen your face!"  
She grinned in spite of herself and then said. "I like it when you say that."  
"What?" Leo asked, still chuckling.  
"That name. Pen. It's not so long, but not as childish as Penny."  
"Yeah, well, it fits you" Leo said, and he meant it. Although Penelope was a good name for her, it was quite long. And Penny just wouldn't work here. So for Leo, Pen it was.  
Just then, there was a shout behind them.  
"Hey, Valdez! Where've you been?"  
Both of them turned around to see Jason and Piper strolling towards them, holding hands.  
They sat down next to Leo and Pen and Piper smiled at them.  
Jason, with a concerned expression on his face, looked at Penelope and asked "Have you remembered anything yet?"  
Leo was about to tell him that Penelope didn't have to talk about it if she didn't want to, but she spoke before him.  
"No, nothing so far."  
Jason frowned, sympathetically. "I can relate, believe me. But don't worry, I got my memory back eventually, and it even turned out for the best that I lost it, for a bit."  
He glanced at Piper at these words, who smiled and blushed.  
"So don't beat yourself up about it, okay? And if you ever need someone to talk to who understands, well, you know where my cabin is."  
Leo felt a twinge of jealousy at that, but dismissed it.  
He was far more impressed at how well Jason had chosen his words, offering comfort and support without sounding too pitying.  
It was no wonder Jason was a leader.  
Penelope smiled at him, grateful. "Thanks, Jason."  
Then she asked, lightly, "So, who are you guys playing with tonight?"  
"Well" Piper started. "Zeus' and Aphrodite's cabin have an allegiance" she wiggled her eyebrows at Jason "and also with Demeter and Janus. What about your cabin, Leo?"  
"Er" Leo said, realising he hadn't set up any allegiances yet, what with all the stuff that had been going on.  
"Leo!" Piper chastised him "It's your responsibility as head counsellor to take care of these things!"  
Leo turned very red at that, and the other three laughed.  
He joined in, joking "Well, I bet Ares' cabin will be happy to help us"  
and they all laughed some more.  
It felt good to be sitting there with the sparkling lake beside them, a group of friends that looked like they hadn't a care in the world.  
How wrong that image would soon prove to be.


	7. Chapter 7: Capturing the flag

**Hello, my lovely readers!  
So sorry that you had to wait for this, I was just really busy. Got a long one for ya to make up for the wait though :)  
Hope you enjoy this, I did when I was writing it!  
Don't forget to review, so I can continue this :)  
Enjoy and remember that I only own my OC, nothing else.  
Yours truly,  
~thegirlwiththetrident **

Chapter seven: Capturing the flag

That night there was a definite buzz of excitement at dinner, as everyone planed their strategy for the game.  
The Hephaestus' cabin was working on some brilliant plan as well, but Leo wasn't really paying attention.  
His eyes were trained on Penelope, who was sitting a few tables away next to Chleo, looking pale and not touching her food.  
He felt a twinge of sympathy, recalling how nervous he'd been before his first capture the flag game.  
Before quite deciding to do it, Leo had stood up and started to make his way towards the Hecate table.  
A quick glance at Chiron told him that, although the centaur was watching him, he wasn't giving him any sign to stop, so Leo slid onto the bench next to Pen.  
"Hey there" he said, quietly. "You okay?"  
"Umhum" Penelope nodded, still pale and her face tense.  
"Don't worry, it'll be fine. The game's actually lots of fun, you'll see." he told her, trying to sound encouraging.  
"As long as I don't get myself killed." Pen answered, dryly, making Leo laugh.  
Penelope's face softened a bit. "Have you found any allies, then?" she wanted to know, and Leo turned a bit red. "Yeah" he said, sighing. "The sleep god cabin. Uh..." Leo could never remember that god's name.  
"Hypnos?" Penelope offered and Leo nodded, a bit embarrassed that she already seemed to know more about the gods than he did.  
"Yeah, that one. Not like it'll do us much good." he whispered, rolling his eyes.  
Penelope giggled. "Maybe they could just snore at people in the dark, to scare them."  
Both of them laughed at that thought but before Leo could say anymore, there came an extremely pointed cough from Chleo.  
Leo was being disrespectful sitting at their table, and the girl creeped Leo out too much for him to want to annoy her.  
He got up, but leaned down quickly to say "See you later" to Penelope, who smiled feebly.  
When Leo had sat back down at his own table, he saw Chleo whisper something into Penelope's ear and the two of them stand up.  
Before they left, Penelope shot Leo a last "Help me" sort of look but he just winked at her and grinned.  
Somehow he doubted his new friend would do badly tonight.

A few hours later, Leo and two of his cabin mates were standing at the edge of the forest, ready to go hide their flag.  
He could see the Athena, Hecate and Apollo campers not too far away, through his new and pretty awesome night-vision goggles, that worked like heat sensors. The good thing was, demigods seemed to run slightly hotter than other humans, so there was a next to no chance that Leo might mistake one for a bear or whatever.  
The night had fallen fast and dark, and he could hardly wait for the game to begin.  
Nobody would find them where they were going.  
There was only one thing that worried Leo a bit, and that was that Chleo and Penelope hadn't shown up at the camp fire, or at the briefing before the game.  
He didn't like to think what they were up to, and he could only hope that Chleo would take care of her new sister.  
But now, he had to concentrate, as the game had begun.  
Quickly and silently, they sneaked off into the woods, until they were at the bottom of a hill, which peaked out of the forest roof and so was clearly visible, as the rules stated.  
What the rules didn't forbid however, was the ditch that Leo and his two brothers Brad and Ronny proceeded to dig in a ten foot perimeter around the flag which they'd placed right at the top of the hill.  
As only the tip of the hill stood above the trees, the ditch wouldn't be visible in the gloom, unless you knew it was there.  
If anyone tried to take their flag, they'd fall in first and get caught.  
It was a good plan, and Leo had been very relieved when Ronny had told him about it, having forgotten to think of one himself.  
The kid was only ten, but Leo swore he was an absolute mastermind.  
The drills which they'd used to dig the ditch were super fast but almost completely silent, and it had been Ronny who had built them.  
As only two guards were allowed to be by the flag, Leo got ready to walk into the woods, but not too far away, searching for any monsters that might decide to venture up the hill.  
All he needed for that was his weapon and his night-vision goggles.  
But the goggled were no where to be found.  
"Hey, Ronny!" Leo whispered.  
"What?" the kid asked, his bright orange hair gleaming even in the pale moonlight.  
"Have you seen my goggles?"  
"Didn't you put them next to the flag?"  
Leo cursed inwardly. Of course, he'd put the goggles down to stick the flag in the ground, and had forgotten them there.  
Quickly, he got the plank which they'd taken as a method of getting over the ditch themselves, and carefully laid it across on part of the hole.  
When he'd gotten his goggles, he was about to walk back across when he noticed that the plank had moved, an inch to the right.  
He was about to say something to the others when he noticed Brad, just a foot away, walking around the ditch. He must have moved the plank by accident.  
Back on the right side of the ditch, Leo removed the plank and hid it up high in the branches of a tree.  
"Right, good luck, you two. Don't forget the sign."  
The boys had agreed that if there was any sign of a monster or an opposing team, they would blow two times into one of their horns, which had a very high sound and could be heard even from a distance.  
Then, Leo set out into the woods, putting his goggles firmly over his eyes and his weapon at hand.  
For ages, nothing happened, and Leo only had to get rid of two very small arrow birds flying at him.  
It didn't seem right, all this peace.  
Normally, the other team got to the flag quicker, though Leo guessed that things were a bit different now that there were more than two teams.  
Back before Leo had come to camp, Annabeth had told him, there had always been only two teams, but lately they had to divide into more as there were just too many cabins.  
Just then, Leo heard a twig snap.  
He whirled around and saw a bright orange shape sprint towards him, a bow in hand.  
He ducked just in time and quickly whipped out his horn. He blew into it twice, and the sudden sound scared up a deer in the next bush, making it jump away.  
Meanwhile, the Apollo camper had turned to face him again, but instead of attacking, he simply waved and sprinted away, leaving Leo standing there, dumbfounded.  
Either the camper was a bit dim, or this was a trap.  
Somehow, Leo felt the latter was the case.  
He decided to go check on Ronny and Brad, and tell them about the Apollo kid.  
When he got closer to the hill, he could see a bright speck of orange right by the flag, and he wondered why Brad or Ronny would go near it.  
Unless the orange form wasn't Ronny or Brad...  
He broke into a fast jog, trying to be quiet at the same time. Upon the hill, he saw the orange form dart over the ditch as if it wasn't there and run down the hill, straight at him.  
"OI!" he shouted, charging the form. It dodged to the left and Leo only just missed it.  
Scowling, he took up the chase, darting through the trees, trying to follow the form.  
He was starting to gain on it, and then, with just a few metres left between them, just as they reached a small clearing, Leo threw himself upon the form, pining it onto the ground.  
"Give it here!" he yelled, ready for the struggle.  
But it never came.  
Instead, the figure underneath him laughed gleefully, and said "Can't those goggles of yours sense metal, Valdez?"  
Leo ripped off his goggles to see the person under him, and wasn't surprised at the sight of Chleo, laughing evily.  
"What do you mean, sense metal?" he asked harshly, but a sinking feeling was already spreading out in his stomach.  
"Well, if they could see metal, you would have noticed that the flag you thought I was stealing, is actually still on top of that hill!" Chleo was now wheezing a little, and she shoved him off, and sat up. Then, chuckling, she added "Well, I supposed it _was _still there, anyway."  
The whole thing suddenly clicked into place and Leo understood.  
"You weren't running away from me at all, were you?"  
Again, Chleo laughed. "Oh no. Believe me, if I hadn't wanted you to catch me, you wouldn't have. After all, my mum's the goddess of the night."  
Stupid, Leo told himself, getting up and brushing the dirt of his trousers.  
Stupid, stupid, stupid.  
"What did you do to Brad and Ronny?"  
"Oh, they're fine." Chleo giggled.  
"They're simply getting to know that fabulous ditch of yours a little better. "  
"How did you get them-?"  
"That was easy" the girl said "You see, children of Hecate are able to alter what people see, control the mist if you will. We simply made your brothers see the plank, and when they tried to run across it, they ended up in the hole."  
Leo said nothing. He felt foolish for having fallen for the trap, but he was also worried about his half-brothers. That ditch was deep.  
Chleo seemed to understand his silence, because she said, with a trace of sympathy  
"Don't worry, they're fine. We made sure they didn't get hurt."  
"So you followed us?" Leo asked, starting to make his way back to the hill, followed by Chleo.  
It was too late to follow the actual flag-napper, but he could at least make sure his siblings were out of the hole.  
"Very good, Valdez. Yeah, we were following you all the time."  
"Why didn't I see you through these then?" Leo wanted to know, indicating his goggles.  
"We have ways of concealing ourselves." Chleo winked, a sly grin on her face.  
They walked the rest of the way in silence, and together pulled Ronny and Brad out of the ditch.  
"Leo!" they cried, when they were standing straight again.  
"The plank disappeared, Leo! We don't know how- what's she doing here?" their faces were so confused and muddy that Leo couldn't help but laugh.  
It was just a game, after all.  
"Come on" he told the two boys. "I'll explain everything on the way back."  
When they arrived at the edge of the woods, they found that the game had finished, the Athena/Apollo/Hecate alliance having secured three of the five flags and the Aphrodite/Zeus/Demeter/Janus alliance two.  
Everyone was either celebrating or grinding their teeth, like the Ares cabin, who had been completely overrun by Apollo campers.  
Leo joined his cabin, who were taking their defeat well enough.  
When Chleo told everyone how Leo had chased her without realising she didn't have the flag, they even joined in laughing, and Leo grinned in spite of himself.  
"Hey, Chleo!" he called, and the dark haired girl turned to him.  
"Yes?"  
"Who helped you get our flag?"  
Chleo smiled, a mischievous smile.  
"Who do you think?" she said, and turned towards her friends.  
And there, holding the Hephaestus' flag, raised into the air by her fellows, was Penelope, a wild grin on her face.  
When she saw Leo she waved with the flag in her hand, laughing heartedly.  
Leo stared for a second, then laughed as well.  
His feeling that Penelope would do well tonight had been right then, after all.


	8. Chapter 8: Insomnia

**Another chapter, ready to be read and enjoyed by all of you!  
There are some problems coming up, and some other exciting events soon to happen!  
Hope you like it, please tell me what you think in a review!  
Thank you for the reviews I already have, they are very much appreciated!  
I only own Pen.  
~thegirlwiththetrident**

  
Chapter eight: Insomnia

Five days later, the glory of the winner's victory had finally begun to wear off, and Leo could walk through camp again without being made fun of.  
It was all good-naturedly he knew, but it did grow old.  
Today, Leo had planed on taking a day off work, and was now looking for Penelope, thinking of asking her if she fancied going to the beach with him.  
They got along really well, especially in the aftermath of the game, now that she seemed to feel more at ease here at camp.  
Everyday, they had spent some time talking, training or simply sitting at the lake, and Leo liked the fact that she got along well with Jason and Piper, too.  
All in all, life at camp was definitely going well, except for the fact that Leo was starting to worry about Penelope.  
Not only had her amnesia gotten no better at all, but she hadn't been able to sleep since that day Leo had found her at the beach, and that was a long time to go without a rest.  
When he found her sitting at breakfast that morning, she looked terrible.  
There simply was no nice way of saying it.  
Deep, dark circles were under her eyes, her hair was limp and dull, and her whole body slumped, as if she was going to keel over any second.  
"Morning Sunshine" he greeted her, and it was a mark of how tired she was that she didn't laugh or punch him or anything, but simply muttered "Bad pun, Leo."  
"Still no luck with the sleeping then?"  
"No" she sighed, not touching her food. "I've tried every bunk in our cabin, sleeping outside, in the sickroom, I've even" she lowered her voice "sneaked into the Poseidon cabin, because, well, you know..."she trailed off, looking guilty.  
It wasn't even a bad idea, as both Hecate's and Poseidon's cabins had attracted Penelope when she'd arrived here, but it still took a lot of courage, Leo thought, and a lot of stupidity.  
"Holy Hephaestus, Pen, you've got to be careful! Sleeping in the wrong cabin can get you vaporised!" he hissed.  
"I know that Leo" she answered back, quietly. "But believe me, getting vaporised probably beats this! I've been awake for 160 hours! The others say it's only our mother's affinity for the night and her blessing on our cabin that's keeping me on my feet. If it weren't for that, I'd literally die of exhaustion."  
The expression on her face was now no longer guilty, but downright scared.  
Only then did Leo understand how serious the situation was, and suddenly he felt pretty afraid, too.  
"Have you been to see Clovis? Chiron? One of the Apollo kids?"  
"Yup, all of them, but no one knows what's causing this." A wary look entered her bright eyes and Leo asked "What?"  
Penelope hesitated "What if...what if one of the gods is punishing me? What if I did something before – you know- I came here, and now this is my punishment?"  
Leo tried to keep his voice steady. "Nah, I don't think so. It could be anything, really. It'll get better soon."  
He knew he didn't sound very convincing, but what else was he supposed to say?  
Trying to think of a distraction that was big enough, he suddenly had an idea.  
"Hey! Why don't you come with me to the Bunker nine today, huh? It's pretty cool"  
his voice sounded a little too perky, but it was worth a shot.  
"What's that?" Penelope asked, wearily.  
"Secret Hephaestus place. Come on, there's something in there I want to show you."  
He didn't know why he had decided to show her the Argo II now, but there was no doubt in his mind that he could trust her.  
And he could simply tell her that they needed the Argo to fly to Frisco to get Percy back. There would be no need to even mention the second Great Prophecy.  
Anyway, Pen deserved to know that her friends would be leaving soon, even if she didn't know for how long.  
"So?" he asked, eyes wide and pleading.  
"All right, Mr Awesome, I'll come meet you in fifteen minutes?" she said as she got up.  
"I like that name!" Leo called after her, before she left.  
When she was out of sight, the smile slid off Leo's face.  
He hadn't realised how much trouble his friend was in, and frantically tried to think of a solution.  
And if there was anybody who would be able to help him with that, it was a certain daughter of Athena he knew.  
He found her inside her cabin reading a very ancient looking scroll.  
"Annabeth? Can I talk to you for a sec?" he called in.  
Annabeth looked up, saw Leo and hurried over, the scroll tucked under her arm.  
"Leo! Is everything okay? Is it the ship?"  
"What?" Leo asked, confused "No, no, it's not the ship. The Argo's fine."  
A look of relief passed over Annabeth's face. "What's up then?"  
"It's, um, Penelope. She hasn't been able to sleep since she got here. She says something just keeps holding her off, as if she wasn't in the right place to rest, or something. I'm afraid that at some point she'll just...fall over and not get back up again." Leo explained.  
The relief had fled the face of the girl before him, replaced by the usual worry, omni-present these days.  
Instantly, Leo felt guilty. Annabeth had enough to worry about without another friend in distress added to her "find a solution" list.  
Already her grey eyes seemed to be calculating a million different possibilities and possible solutions.  
"I'm sorry" Leo apologised, starting to turn away. "I know you've got other things to think about, I just..." he was about to close the door when Annabeth grabbed his arm.  
"Leo!" she said loudly, "I think I've just understood something!" her voice sounded more excited than it had in days, and her whole demeanour had changed.  
"What?" Leo was totally confused.  
"Gods, I can't believe how stupid we've been!" Annabeth cried out.  
"Er" stated Leo intelligently, not cottoning on at all.  
"I need to go check something, just to make sure. Can you meet me back here at four o'clock? It's important!" and with that she rushed back into her cabin and back out, not even waiting for an answer. "Four o'clock, Leo!" she yelled and disappeared.  
Well, that was...disturbing.  
For a few minutes, Leo simply stood there, perplexed.  
What had Annabeth understood? Was it about Penelope's sleep problem? Or something more sinister? He guessed he'd just have to wait till four o'clock to find out.  
"Hey, repair boy!" a voice yelled from behind him and he turned to see Penelope, her hair freshly washed and tied back, coming towards him.  
"Hello." Leo said, somewhat lamely.  
"Are we going?" she asked, and her sweet, calm smile was back on her face, lifting Leo's spirits up.  
"You bettcha." he grinned, and started to lead the way to his ship.

"Wow."  
"Pretty cool, huh?"  
"Leo" Penelope was gaping at the huge ship. "It's amazing. Did you seriously build this?"  
Leo could feel his cheeks redden, as Penelope walked around the Argo II slowly, wonder in her face.  
On the way here, he had told his friend all about building the ship for the past few months, so they could sail to Camp Jupiter and rescue Percy, and Penelope has listened raptly.  
"Wait till you're on it!" he laughed, opening a hatch for them to climb inside the hull.  
"I can..go in?" his friend said in awe.  
Her whole attitude, so tired before, was now excited, which made Leo feel glad.  
He offered her his hand, and soon they they were touring the inside, which was lit by magical lamps at regular intervals.  
Penelope wanted to see everything, and seemed to be very impressed by Leo's designs.  
When they were looking at all the rooms, his friend frowned.  
"Why are there so many? I thought only you, Annabeth, Piper and Jason were going to get Percy. Why eight rooms then?"  
Leo cursed silently to himself. He hadn't thought of that, and even if he had he probably wouldn't have guessed that Pen would mention it, even though that would have been stupid as she was simply too clever.  
"Er, one for Coach Hedge, a mad satyr supposed to be our "adult supervisor" and some spare ones" he offered as an explanation, which didn't seem to satisfy Penelope, but she didn't press the subject.  
As they passed the door of the lost room, she ran her hand along it. "What's this?"  
"Closet" Leo said automatically, ushering her on. He wasn't sure why he didn't want her to go in there, yet somehow the idea didn't please him at all.  
"My room's best, isn't it?" he asked her quickly.  
She laughed at him and rolled her eyes. "Of course it is, Mr Awesome."  
They spent the next hour or so in Bunker nine, Leo explaining all about the mechanics of the ship and how the steering worked.  
"Sounds good to go" Penelope stated, eating a grape of one of the magic plates they had borrowed.  
"Not quite yet" Leo said, absent-mindedly. "I have to make sure it's strong enough to survive that journey."  
He realised what he'd said only when Pen cocked her head at him.  
"Leo, you do know you're only sailing to California and back right? It's not like it's the end of the world." she frowned, obviously confused "Come to think of it, why do you need a ship like that anyway? Couldn't you just take a plane or something? I thought this was a peaceful mission."  
Damn, Leo thought, trying to think of an answer.  
"Well, Percy isn't allowed to fly in a plane, you know because of his dad and Zeus not always agreeing" he explained, inventing wildly "and also I just don't want to seem weak in front of the Romans." This last part was true, at least. He didn't like keeping stuff from Penelope, and he felt sorry that he had to. But it was for her own good, as well as theirs.  
At his words, a sympathetic smile appeared on Pen's lips and she said, putting her hand on his arm,  
"Don't worry, Leo. You could never seem weak."  
Uh...Leo's mind had gone blank.  
"When are you leaving anyway?"  
This brought him back to coherence.  
"About a month I guess"  
"A – a month?" Penelope tried to sound upbeat but failed miserably.  
Leo couldn't think of anything to say. His gut twisted with guilt when he thought of leaving her alone here, without any guarantee that they would be coming back.  
"But, you're not going to stay long, are you?" Pen asked, as if reading his thoughts.  
Before Leo could think of a response that wasn't too big a lie, Penelope suddenly spotted the clock on the wall and jumped up.  
"Oh gods, I forgot! I've got another lesson with Chleo in twenty minutes! I have to go, I'll see you later! And Leo, thank you for showing this to me!"  
With that she hurried out of the door, her dark hair whipping around the frame.  
For a moment, he sat there unmoving, the spot where she had touched him tingling pleasantly. He felt his heart beat fast...  
Stop, he told himself sternly.  
You are going on what's probably going to turn out as a suicide mission in a month. None of that now.  
But still a sad feeling settled inside Leo, and he felt a jab of regret.  
Penelope had come to camp at the wrong time, she had no idea that the world she was only just getting to know might soon be destroyed.  
It would be up to Leo and the others to save it, and he would have to make sure they gave it their best shot.  
Sighing, he packed up and shut Bunker nine for the night.  
When he arrived back at the cabins he was so lost in thought that he didn't hear the person behind him say his name, only when she grabbed his arm and turned him around.  
"Leo" said Annabeth, her face very serious.  
"We have to talk. It's about Penelope. I think I know who she is."


	9. Chapter 9: Disturbing Realisations

**Another chapter today, whoopee!  
This one reveals an interesting theory...  
Have fun reading this, and don't forget to type some words into that little box at the bottom of this page! ;)  
Disclaimer's same as always  
~thegirlwiththetrident **

Chapter nine: Disturbing Realisations

After Leo had simply stared at Annabeth for a few moments, she had grabbed his arm again and marched him off, towards the forest.  
Then, they'd started walking around the outside, dodging the occasional thorn-bush, and after she had made absolutely sure there was no one in sight, Annabeth turned to Leo and explained.  
"Do you remember how it was when Jason arrived here?" she asked him, her grey eyes intent.  
"Of course I do" Leo answered, perplexed. How could he ever forget the begin of his life as a demigod?  
"Jason arrived out of nowhere, didn't he? Without his memory? And it was all part of Hera's plan?"  
"U huh" Leo agreed, having no idea what Annabeth was getting at.  
"Well, we've been blind, haven't we! We've experienced this situation before, and we didn't realise it was happening all over again!" she cried, looking outraged at her own stupidity.  
"Wait" Leo said, carefully "Are you saying that Penelope was sent here by Hera?"  
"Yes!" Annabeth's voice was still very loud. "And Leo, I think I know why."  
"Why?" Leo demanded, but he thought a part of him already knew the answer.  
"Hecate is the goddess of the moon, Leo."  
Leo knew that, and he knew what it meant. He now understood what Annabeth wanted to say, and so he finished for her  
"The light in heaven. Of course, it's the _moon_. So Penelope is..."  
"...the lost one" Annabeth concluded, and their eyes met in perfect agreement.  
Leo guessed that somewhere, deep down, he'd suspected this all along, but hadn't seen it clearly until this moment.  
It was obvious to him now.  
Penelope, like Jason, had appeared out of nowhere, very Hera-like.  
She had no memory of her past, which also indicated the goddess's interference.  
And with her mother being the goddess of the moon, that made her the child of the light in heaven.  
But it also meant another thing.  
"So, Penelope is going to come with us?" Leo asked, knowing the answer.  
"Yes." Annabeth said, and her face assumed that serious expression again, and Leo knew why.  
The quest they were going on wasn't an ordinary one. It was dangerous and they would be travelling far away from home, not knowing if they would ever come back.  
How could they allow Penelope, who had barely had any training and was already facing problems like amnesia and insomnia, to accompany them?  
For a minute, neither of them spoke, they simply stood there next to the dark green trees and listened to birds crying as they circled in the blue sky overhead.  
The case seemed clear, yet Leo couldn't help but ask, his voice more desperate than he'd intended it to be "Are you sure she's the one the prophecy means, Annabeth?"  
Annabeth looked him in the eye and said, with a trace of the same worry Leo was now experiencing, "Positive. And I think I know why Penelope hasn't been sleeping"  
"Why?"  
"Because" the blonde girl explained "because she hasn't been in the right place to sleep. You said she felt like that, and I think that might be Hera's way of showing us that she's definitely the one."  
It was a good theory, but Leo spotted a hole in it.  
"And where's this right place for her to sleep supposed to be?" he asked  
"It's obvious, isn't it? The lost room, of course."  
Annabeth's answer made sense, and for a moment they both stood there, unsure what to do.  
"We have to tell her" Leo said finally "We have to test your theory. I really hope you're wrong though."  
"I hope so, too." Annabeth muttered, but they both knew she was probably right.  
And even though Leo felt horrified at the thought of letting Penelope join them on this dangerous quest, a tiny bit of him couldn't help but feel happy at the realisation that he wouldn't be leaving her alone, after all.


	10. Chapter 10: A place to sleep

**Whoopdie-doop, chapter ten is here.  
Please review, so I know what to do better.  
Do you guys think I should do a Penelope's POV?  
Tell me what you think!  
Only own Penelope and my other OCs :)  
~thegirlwiththetrident**

Chapter ten: A place to sleep

When they got back to camp, they decided the first thing to do before telling Penelope anything was to consult Chiron, who had a lot of experience and always had some good advice at hand.  
Annabeth led the way to the Big House, her blonde curls glinting in the sunlight.  
The old centaur was sitting in his favourite spot outside, his horse body enclosed in the magic wheelchair.  
"Leo, Annabeth. " he said, eyeing them kindly "What is it?"  
"Chiron, we think we know who the second part of the Great Prophecy meant" Annabeth told him in a rush.  
He raised his dark eyebrows and said "You do?".  
Somehow Leo got the impression that Chiron wouldn't be very surprised at what they were about to tell him, and he was proven right.  
When Annabeth said "We think it means Penelope" the centaur didn't look astonished at all, simply continued to listen intently.  
They explained all about their theory, and how they were planing on testing it and when they were finished, they stood there for a minute in silence, looking expectantly at Chiron.  
Their teacher took his time responding.  
"Well," he said, slowly "I think you might be right. And I would advise you to go ahead with your test. But" and now he regarded them with a piercing stare "do not forget that what you tell her might very well frighten Penelope. Zeus knows she has had enough to deal with lately, and to be told about this quest... Perhaps you should wait and see if your theory proves to be right first. Simply invite her for a night in the Argo II, you may sleep there as well. I believe she was rather impressed with the ship?"  
Leo nodded, his cheeks burning a bit. He was still hesitant to load all of this on his new friend, but he knew that it couldn't wait.  
"Report back to me when you know more" Chiron told them, and they walked back across the grass, passed the strawberry fields and the lake.  
"Annabeth" Leo said, turning towards her "What if Penelope isn't who we think she is?"  
"Then she can stay here, and try to live a normal life" she answered, though at the word _normal _her expression turned doubtful.  
A sigh escaped Leo's lips, and he looked around "Where is she anyway?"  
Annabeth shrugged her shoulders and proposed that they start looking for Penelope in the Hecate cabin.  
When they knocked on the door, a pale boy opened it. Leo knew this was one of Pen's half-brothers, but he had forgotten his name.  
The boy looked at them in a scrutinising way, an expression all of the Hecate lot seemed to have mastered. He had white, almost translucent skin and equally fair hair, though his dark eyes contrasted this. They were so dark brown, they seemed almost black and he had a scar next to his right ear.  
"Hello Cal" Annabeth said, and even her normally confident voice sounded a bit unsure facing this creepy guy, whose whole name was Callister as Leo now recalled.  
"Hello, Annabeth and Leo" Cal nodded at them. The way he said their names alone, sounded like a dark spell, and Leo's spine shivered. Poor Pen, having to live in the same cabin as this guy.  
Cal gave Leo an angry look then, as if he had read his mind.  
Uh oh, Leo thought. Telekinesis...  
"We were wondering if we could talk to Penelope?" Annabeth asked, smiling a very forced smile.  
Callister didn't answer immediately. "No." he then told them.  
"What do you mean, no? If we want to talk to her, we will" Leo snapped, irritated.  
A sneer played around Cal's mouth.  
"You can't talk to her, _Leo Valdez_, because she's not here at the moment. So unless _you_ are able to summon people with your mind, I would advise you to go look for _Pen _elsewhere."  
with that he shut the door in their faces.  
"Well" Annabeth spluttered, affronted. "How dare he talk to us like that!"  
Leo knew that pride was one of the main characteristics of the Athena children, and Annabeth's had obviously been hurt.  
But he didn't want her to cause a scene, so he grabbed her arm and dragged her away from the cabins.  
"That guy can read minds" Leo told Annabeth, but she just shook her head, as if this information didn't interest her at all.  
"Of course he can. That's a major power of Hecate's. But that still doesn't give him the right to talk to us like that!"  
"Yeah, well, next time you fight him in class, you can kick his butt. For now, let's just focus on finding Penelope, okay?"  
Annabeth huffed, but nodded.  
They searched the whole of camp, even the Big House and the beach, but Penelope wasn't anywhere.  
Night was already falling, and Leo was getting worried. Had Pen's dark assumption that at some point she would just fall over and not get up, become true?  
They had asked everyone, though no one had any idea where the daughter of Hecate was.  
When Leo asked Jason and Piper for their help searching the forest, they immediately said yes.  
So, the four of them made their way to the woods, and Annabeth explained all about their idea on who Penelope was to Jason and Piper.  
"Gods, how could we have been so stupid?" Piper muttered, and Jason nodded in agreement.  
"At first I thought that she might have gotten here the same way I had, but I couldn't think why Hera would send her. I didn't think of the second part of the prophecy at all."  
"Yeah, well" Leo said, as they started to make their way through the woods, calling Penelope's name. "We haven't known about it for long."  
"No" the others agreed, and silence fell.  
Leo was sure they were all thinking of the day two months before, when there had been a counsellor meeting to discuss some details of the Argo II.  
Jason had just said "So are all of the eight rooms ready then?" when Rachel, who had only joined them because she'd been bored, had gone mysterious-prophecy-mode and spoken those lines that now kept running wildly through Leo's mind  
_The lost one shall join the seven,  
a child of the light in heaven  
though the source of mighty power-  
_and then their oracle had simply stopped, and fainted.  
It had been a very cryptic message and at the time Leo had been super annoyed. The message had meant that he would have to rethink some of the interior of the Argo II and plan in an extra room.  
"So, do we split up?" Annabeth asked, making them all return back to the present.  
"Makes sense" Leo said, and Jason added "I'll go with Leo" which surprised Leo.  
Normally, Jason and Piper would have been a team, but now his best friend turned right with him, while the girls turned left.  
"So" Jason said after a while, in which they'd seen nothing but a lonely chicken, running around.  
"Penelope might come with us."  
Leo nodded, wondering why Jason's voice sounded so strange.  
"What's the deal between you two anyway?" he asked, and Leo was glad that it had gotten dark so his best friend wouldn't see him blush.  
"We've only known each other for a week" he answered, evading the question.  
"Yeah, but you spend a lot of time together" Jason pushed.  
But Leo only shook his head. "Let's just find her and tell her about this mess, okay?"  
After some hesitation, Jason nodded.  
"We need light." he said, and Leo automatically reached for his tool belt.  
But it wasn't there.  
"Hades!" he cursed, "I left my tool belt in Bunker nine!"  
"Why don't you just make a little fire?" Jason asked, and Leo did so, a bit embarrassed that he hadn't thought of this right away.  
"I still want to go fetch it" he told Jason, who nodded and so they set of towards Bunker nine.  
Coincidently, they ran into the girls, only a few minutes before they reached the Bunker.  
"Found anything?" Annabeth asked, but the boys shook their heads.  
"Only a chicken" Leo added and to his surprise Annabeth rolled her eyes and muttered  
"That dam chicken."  
Just then they reached the bunker, and Leo was about to open it when he saw that the entrance already stood open.  
Immediately, Leo reached for the knife he had taken only as a precaution.  
"Wait here" he hissed at the others and carefully creeped inside the door.  
There was nothing inside which posed an immediate threat, so he motioned to the others to follow him.  
They spread out, looking for the thing which had entered the secret place.  
"I definitely locked up" Leo murmured.  
"Look!" Piper hissed, and pointed towards the Argo, which was situated in the middle of the room.  
Leo saw what Piper meant: A hatch, the same one he and Penelope had used, stood wide open.  
"There's something in there" Jason whispered, and one by one, they quietly entered the ship.  
Without the usual glow of the lamps, the inside was dark and Leo could feel the others shifting uneasily.  
He himself had no problem finding his bearings, he had built this place after all.  
They checked every room, though they didn't find anything.  
Only when they passed the door of the lost room, did Leo notice something strange.  
"That door was closed" he whispered to his friends, pointing towards the now wide open door.  
Annabeth raised her eyebrows at him, and Leo nodded, silently moving into the room, his knife held at the ready.  
There was something inside the bed, something that was making the blankets rise and sink, as it breathed in and out.  
A dark haired, slim-fingered something.  
Unable to stop himself, Leo let out a sudden loud laugh, and he heard the others jump and something hit a wall.  
"Ow!" Piper yapped, as Jason came rushing into the room, his sword at the ready.  
"What is it?" he said, looking around and brandishing his weapon.  
"Put that down" Leo told him, still laughing, as the girls came in as well, Piper rubbing her head.  
"I think Annabeth," Leo said, as he lit a lamp on the bedside table "That your theory has just been proven right."  
Annabeth looked at him confusedly for a moment, but when Leo motioned to the person lying there, her expression cleared up and she smiled, as well.  
On the bed, fast asleep and her hair tangled around her face, was Penelope, oblivious to the fact that she'd just sealed her own destiny by the simple act of falling asleep. 


	11. Chapter 11: Watching

**I got so many lovely comments that I decided to update again today :)  
I'd like to thank everybody who is taking the time to read this and review, it means so much to me!  
Hope you like this chapter as well, disclaimer's the same as always.  
~thegirlwiththetrident**

Chapter eleven: Watching

After debating for a while, the four friends decided to let Penelope sleep.  
They all knew that she needed the rest, and that she was going to need it for when they told her the truth about herself in the morning.  
"Do we wait here?" Piper asked, and Leo nodded.  
"I'll do it. You guys can go back to the cabins, if you want to."  
But now that the shock had worn off, the others seemed to be quite eager to spend sometime in the ship as well, and decided to stay the night.  
It was probably a good idea, as this was going to be their home soon, and so Leo divided out the rooms and then laid the table in the dining hall, using the magic golden plates and goblets.  
He then got out of the ship and searched for the fountain tap which he'd found installed here, and could be used to send an Iris-message.  
Taking one of the golden drachmas that were placed beside it, he tossed the coin into the rainbow and said "Oh goddess accept my offering and show me Chiron at the Big House"  
The rainbow obliged, and soon Leo could see the centaur, who was sitting inside the ping pong table room, eating a bunch of celery.  
"Hello Chiron" Leo called and the teacher looked up  
"Leo" he smiled and waited until Leo had explained all about finding Penelope and that their theory had been proven right, asking whether or not it was okay that they spend the night in the ship.  
"Yes, yes, that will be fine" the centaur told him "and maybe you would like to explain it all to Penelope when she awakes, and we'll have a counsellor meeting later."  
"Okay" Leo said, waved his hand through the message, returned on board and called the others for dinner.  
"The rooms are seriously cool, Leo!" Jason said, grinning and clapping a hand on Leo's back.  
The girls nodded in agreement and Leo felt pleased that his friends liked his work.  
"They're not as good as mine" he winked, but the others just rolled their eyes and Piper shoved him playfully.  
"Let's eat" she said, grabbing a plate and ordering a huge salad.  
The rest of them followed her lead, and soon they were seated around the table, eating delicious food and discussing the upcoming game of capture-the-flag.  
Leo was trying to secure himself some proper allies this time.  
"I don't know, Valdez" Jason said, his voice in mock thought "I'm not sure I want a cabin on my team that can't even defend itself against two girls"  
"Excuse me?" Annabeth said, throwing a cheese cracker at him. "Are you saying that two boys would be more of a challenge?"  
Jason ducked, but the cracker got stuck in his hair. Piper laughed and got it out for him, and Jason smiled ruefully at Annabeth "Sorry"  
Annabeth stuck her tongue out at him but then giggled and said  
"I wouldn't be sure about Leo's cabin though either"  
It was so seldom that she was in such a good mood these days, that Leo decided to let the comment pass him.  
"You'll be eating your words" he simply told all of them, and cleared the plates away.  
After a few more minutes of light banter, Jason and Piper got up, yawning.  
"We'll see you tomorrow" Piper said, and followed Jason out of the room.  
"As if they're going to sleep" Leo muttered and Annabeth laughed.  
"I remember when Percy and I -" she broke off, her face falling.  
Leo had thought it was bad for him watching Jason and Piper but only then did he realise that it must be so much worse for Annabeth.  
"Come on" he told her, wanting to distract her "I'll show you the control room"  
She nodded and together they made their way to a room full or wires and thick cables, that criss-crossed all over the floor.  
"Wow" Annabeth said, admiringly "And there's a system to all of it?"  
"Mostly" Leo joked.  
He proceeded to explain some of the essential controls and functions to Annabeth, and found that she was quite interested, really.  
It was nice to talk to someone about this, and soon they were immersed in deep conversation about they way things were built, and structures kept up and all sorts of other mechanical or architectural stuff.  
After an hour or so, Annabeth yawned, and they headed back upstairs, extinguishing the lights in the hallways, leaving only a few flames lit.  
Before she went into her room, Annabeth gave Leo a brief hug.  
"Good job, Valdez" she smiled, gesturing around her. Then, she quietly closed the door.  
Leo stood there for a moment, a warm feeling inside at Annabeth's praise which was rare and therefore all the more valuable.  
He opened the door to his own room, but hesitated. Then, he turned around and headed in another direction, stopping in front of the room where Penelope was sleeping.  
They hadn't closed the door, and so Leo could go in without making a noise.  
He knelt down beside the bed, and watched Penelope, her eyelids closed and her breathing even.  
Her dark hair was tangled all around her face, and her mouth stood lightly open, but all of this only made her look cute, Leo thought.  
"Who are you really?" he whispered, so quiet it was almost inaudible.  
There was no answer, of course.  
For a few minutes, Leo simply stayed there, not really thinking anything.  
Then, as quietly as he had come, he left, silently pulling the door shut behind him.  
He was about to turn away, when something on the door caught his eye.  
There was an engraving there, which definitely hadn't been there before:  
Two torches, with dancing flames above them, and coloured in the same deep, dark, ocean blue colour that Penelope's claim mark had been.  
_Well_, Leo thought to himself as he walked away to his own room,_ that certainly settles the matter._


	12. Chapter 12: The Explanation

**Hello my faithful readers!  
Thank you for reading this story and commenting, every review makes me want to continue this :)  
Hope you enjoy!  
Disclaimer as always  
Review!  
~thegirlwiththetrident **

Chapter twelve: The explanation

When Leo awoke the next morning, he felt completely at ease. For a moment he couldn't think why, but then he noticed that he was lying in his bed in the Argo II, and it made him feel good to be in his ship.  
And then, the feeling of dread washed over him.  
Today, he would tell a friend something that would probably ruin her life.  
Ah well, better get it over with.  
He got up, dressed, and walked into the mess hall, where Annabeth and Piper were already sitting, eating some cereal.  
"Morning, captain" Piper winked at him, and Annabeth chuckled.  
Leo didn't answer, but yawned and got himself some pancakes.  
"Where's Jason?" he asked, savouring the syrupy flavour.  
"Still sleeping" Piper said and rolled her eyes.  
"Figures" Leo muttered, continuing to devour his breakfast, while listening to Piper and Annabeth chat.  
When they'd all finished, they divided tasks: Annabeth was to go send a message to Chleo, telling her that Penelope wouldn't make it to lessons today, Piper was going to try and wake Jason, and Leo would go get Penelope.  
In Leo's opinion, Piper had the hardest job.  
He made his way down to the lost room, and opened the door as silently as he could. The two torches were still on it, and Leo kinda liked the idea, thinking of adding symbols to all their doors.  
Then, he stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do next.  
Penelope looked so peaceful, and as far as Leo could tell she hadn't shifted a bit, merely her hand was now lying next to her face.  
Carefully, he walked up to the bed and knelt beside it, just as he had last night.  
Then, very softly, he shook Penelope's shoulder, whispering  
"Good morning."  
She didn't move. She didn't even stir!  
Fine, Leo thought. You can have it the Leo Valdez way then.  
"Hey, magic girl! Rise and Shine!" he yelled extremely loudly, and with a flourish, pulled the covers off her.  
"Argh!" came a yell and then "Leo! What the-"  
"Morning, sunshine" Leo smirked, as Penelope groped around for the covers.  
The look on her face was priceless.  
"Morning. And that's still a bad pun."  
And that's when realisation dawned on his friend's face.  
"Oh gods, I just woke up, didn't I?"  
Leo nodded, grinning.  
For a moment, Pen didn't say anything and then she leapt out of bed and threw her arms around Leo, squashing him.  
"I slept! I actually fell asleep! Oh Zeus, I feel so good, it's like everything's sharpened and I slept, and in a bed and-"  
"All right, that's enough! Holy Hephaestus, Pen it was just a little sleep!"  
Leo broke her off, but he couldn't help grinning himself. It felt good to see his friend in such a good mood.  
Pen grinned too, a little abashed and then looked around, her face taking on a confused expression.  
"Er- where am I exactly?"  
"The Argo. Come on, I'll explain everything at breakfast."

Five minutes later, Annabeth, Piper, Leo, Penelope and a very sleepy looking Jason were all seated around the table in the mess hall, with Pen and Jason eating their breakfast.  
Leo had just asked Pen how she had gotten into Bunker nine, but she didn't seem to know.  
"Well, I was walking to my cabin, after lessons with Chleo. And then, I thought of the Argo II, you know, because I'd seen it that day, and after that, I sorta stopped thinking about what I was doing and before I knew it I was here, in the room _you _said was a closet" here she glared at Leo "and fell onto the bed. That's the last thing I can remember."  
"How did you get the bunker to open?" Annabeth asked, worry and awe mixed on her face.  
"I don't know" Penelope confessed. "I just touched the door, and thought about wanting to enter and it opened. It's like someone was guiding me"  
This made the others look at each other, and Piper voiced what they were all thinking  
"Hera."  
Penelope turned to her, confused "What?"  
"Hera" Piper repeated "Hera made you do all of this. She sent you here, she-" but then Piper broke off, seeming at a loss for words.  
"What do you mean, Hera sent me here? Do you mean to camp? Like Jason?"  
Pen looked from one face to the other, searching for a meaning in Piper's words.  
"Look, Penelope." Annabeth started, and Leo was secretly glad that he didn't have to explain all of this. Annabeth was better as this stuff than him.  
"Leo's told you we will be flying to Camp Jupiter, hasn't he?"  
Penelope nodded.  
"Well, we are going there, but after that, we'll be travelling a little further. There's this prophecy you see.."  
And with that, Annabeth explained all about the prophecy, what they thought it meant and the real reason why Hera had swapped Jason and Percy.  
Penelope listened intently, but when she learned that Leo hadn't told her the whole truth, a shadow passed over her face.  
Leo felt a twinge of guilt, but Annabeth was already continuing the story  
"..and so the four of us, Percy, and two Roman demigods are going to Greece, to try and stop Gaia. Oh yeah, and Coach Hedge, our "adult supervisor""  
Here Annabeth scowled, which made Jason snicker. Piper shot him a look and he quickly murmured "Sorry".  
"Well, that's all really terrible and all, but what has it got to do with _me_?"  
Penelope asked, her voice a little desperate.  
"A few weeks ago" Annabeth continued, her voice growing softer "Rachel spoke the second part of the prophecy."  
Here, without deciding to, Leo took over  
"_The lost one shall join the seven  
a child of the light in heaven  
And though the source of mighty power"  
_He fell silent, leaving Penelope staring at him.  
"Though the source of mighty power what?" she asked  
"We don't know" Annabeth said regretfully "It finished there:"  
Penelope looked at them all, her face disbelieving. "And you seriously think it means-"  
"You." Leo told her, nodding. "You're a daughter of Hecate, Pen. Your mother is the goddess of the moon, of the light in heaven. And you were lost, when you came here. You're supposed to join us."  
There was silence after Leo's last words. He supposed the truth was settling in on them all,  
and he glanced at Penelope, who was sitting there unmoving, her eyes staring into space.  
"Me" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Come with you." She lifted her eyes to meet Leo's gaze, and he couldn't help but notice again how intensely startling they were. But now, they were scared, and on an impulse, Leo took his friend's hand and gave it a squeeze.  
"Don't worry" he told her, trying to make his voice sound steady and reassuring "We'll help you prepare. We'll be there for you."  
The others nodded, and there was a sense of companionship filling the moment.  
Then, Jason broke the silence by saying "Well, any questions?"  
To Leo's surprise, this made Penelope giggle.  
"You tell me I'm destined to go on some sort of major quest with seven of the most powerful demigods of all time, and all you can think of saying is any questions?"  
"We're not the seven most powerful demigods of all time." Piper said, her cheeks flaming.  
"Well, you have to be pretty bad-ass to get picked by the Queen of the gods to save the world."  
Penelope stated.  
"You got picked, too" Piper reminded her, which made her frown.  
"Yeah, I supposed I did. Why me though? And why erase all of my memories if she wants me to fight?"  
"Who knows how her mind works" Annabeth said, bitterly, and Leo was sure she was inwardly cursing the goddess.  
"So what do I do now?" Penelope asked, uncertainty in her voice.  
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Leo grinned at her, pulling her up.  
"Start training."


	13. Chapter 13: Unexpected Talents

**Good evening/morning/whatever time you're reading this!  
First of all, thanks so much to **_**Elmlea**_** for reviewing every chapter, you don't even know how much that means to me!  
Also, **_**Mila-is-a-bookworm-101 **_**asked what Leo and Penelope's ship name would be, which made me laugh and got me thinking. I quite like Lenelope, but what do you guys think?  
Not that I'm promising anything ;)  
Of course I'd like to thank her for all her lovely reviews as well!  
Lastly, do you guys think I should do Penelope's POV?  
Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter (there might be a hint of Lenelope in it ;) ) and leave me a review!  
Reviews make me happy...  
Okay, I'll stop now. I don't own this (just my OCs)  
~thegirlwiththetrident**

Chapter thirteen: Unexpected talents

Two weeks had passed since the night spent on the Argo II, and Leo had to admit, Penelope had come a long way.  
Everyday since she had discovered that she would be joining them on their quest to Greece, she had spent training, getting up at the crack of dawn to do so.  
Usually, he would find her at the climbing wall, or in the forest, and for the past few days she seemed to be frequenting the arena.  
Although Leo felt glad that Penelope was doing so well, he did experience a certain sense of let down, as he barely saw her nowadays. When she wasn't working on her battle skills, she was in lessons with Chleo, or Annabeth, learning as much about magic and the legends of the gods as she could.  
He knew it made sense, that she needed to catch up to be up for the challenge they were facing, but still...  
Sometimes he missed their quiet afternoons down at the lake, when Pen had just been Pen, and not the lost one of the prophecy.  
Therefore today, Leo had made up his mind that he was simply going to _make _her come down to the beach with him.  
Quite apart from wanting to spend sometime with his friend, he knew that her attitude wasn't healthy, and that she would only end up exhausting herself.  
So, in the morning, he got up and made his way to the arena, not even bothering to look for Penelope anywhere else.  
As he was walking, flashbacks of the council meeting they'd had two weeks before came to him.

_All of them were sitting around the ping pong table, and Annabeth had just told the other head counsellors about what they'd discovered.  
Penelope wasn't there yet, as she wasn't head of her cabin and so couldn't join them for the first ten official minutes of the meeting.  
When Annabeth had finished, there was a moment of silence, before Katie Gardener spoke up  
"Are you sure about this, Annabeth?"  
"Yes." Annabeth answered, her voice concerned, but certain. "We're absolutely certain. The door to the room Leo planed for the lost one was engraved with twin torches coloured dark blue after Penelope slept there. That sign is definite."  
Katie nodded, and some of the others did as well.  
Then, to Leo's surprise, Chleo spoke up, her expression dark.  
"She can't go."  
The others looked at her, some with sympathy, and others with confusion.  
"Why not?" Clarisse asked.  
"Because" Chleo's tone was just as dark as her expression. "she will die. She is too inexperienced, she doesn't even know who she is, for Hecate's sake! How can you even think of sending her on this quest, especially you Leo? It will kill her! "  
With that, the usually so composed daughter of Hecate had stood up, and swept out of the room, but not before Leo had seen her dark eyes glisten as she shot him an accusing glare.  
Silence had followed Chleo's outburst, and it had only been broken when there was a timid knock on the door.  
Chiron opened it, and there stood Penelope, looking a little lost.  
"Can I come in now?"  
No one answered.  
They all simply looked gravely at the girl, as if her death sentence was already hanging above her head._

Stop thinking of that! Leo had to wrench himself out of the memory.  
But the lingering feeling of Chleo's accusing stare still weighed him down, and he couldn't help repeating her words to himself.  
Penelope could die. Leo was letting her come on a quest, with barely a month of experience in being a demigod. It would be his fault if she got killed.  
After the meeting, Annabeth had taken him aside, and said, in a very convincing tone  
"Leo, there's nothing you can do about this, okay? Penelope was chosen, she has to come. And we'll do our best to keep her safe."  
Leo had simply nodded, unable to speak past the lump that had started to forme in his throat.

Just then, he noticed that he'd reached the arena, and sure enough, he could hear sword fighting down there.  
When he got close enough, he saw Penelope fighting against Mark, a son of Ares, who had taken over Percy Jackson's post of combat-teacher. He was extremely skilled (though not as good as Percy, as Annabeth had once remarked) and wasn't giving Pen an easy time by the looks of it.  
Leo had never seen her sword-fight before, and in his opinion, the weapon didn't suit her.  
It was simply to big and bland for her smaller frame, and he could see even from here, that she was having a lot of trouble wielding the blade.  
At that exact moment, Mark used a simple move to disarm Penelope, and her sword fell to the ground with a clatter.  
"You know how to block that one" Mark told her, in his deep, condescending voice.  
Pen scowled, an expression Leo had only started to see on her face since she'd started training.  
"I _know_" she answered, through gritted teeth. "I just can't _do _it."  
Mark, who seemed to be used to his pupils getting annoyed, simply said "Have a break" and turned his back on Penelope, walking over to another duelling pair.  
Pen, who was still scowling, turned to the seats and, upon spotting Leo, came over.  
"Not your favourite discipline I'm guessing?" Leo winked at her.  
Pen's face turned dark. "No. I'm rubbish at it."  
"Let's get outta here then" Leo told her, and before she could refuse, he grabbed her arm and marched off, pulling her along behind him.  
Minutes later, they were sitting at the beach, and the salty breeze seemed to be calming Penelope down.  
She sighed, as she gazed out at the ocean, her eyes skimming the horizon.  
"I love the sea." she told Leo, who looked at her.  
"Really?" he asked, disbelievingly.  
Pen nodded, then frowned and said "You think I wouldn't because I almost died here?"  
The question was so forward, it took Leo back a bit, though he was used to questions like that from Pen. She never seemed to bother about concealing the true meaning of her words, something Leo quite liked about her.  
He nodded, and Penelope sighed again, laying down, so her eyes were now staring at the blue sky above them.  
Dark strands of hair were blowing around her face, contrasting with its creamy complexion.  
Leo noticed that her eyes looked like they were actually sparkling when she gazed into the light like this, just like the water sparkled when the sun shone onto it.  
Whoa, he suddenly realised. What are you thinking?  
To make himself stop staring at Pen, he lay down beside her, closing his eyes and enjoying the sunshine on his face.  
He must have dozed off a bit, for when Penelope said "Leo", it startled him, even though her tone had been soft.  
"Yeah?"  
"Do you think I'm going to die?"  
Leo opened his eyes, and turned his head to look at his friend.  
She was still staring up at the sky, her face a little thoughtful, a little sad.  
"What makes you say that?" he asked, and Pen's mouth formed into a slight smile.  
"I'm not deaf you know. I heard what Chleo said. She thinks going on this quest will get me killed."  
Leo couldn't think of anything to say. He was stunned to learn that Penelope had heard her sister's grave assumption, and horrified at how long his friend must've been carrying this around with her.  
That meeting had been two weeks ago.  
And although Leo knew Penelope wasn't stupid, and that she realised how dangerous this mission was going to be, he could only imagine how much it would hurt to hear a friend, a family member, saying she had no chance.  
No wonder she'd been training like a mad satyr.  
"You haven't answered my question." Penelope reminded him quietly, and Leo realised how his silence must have seemed to her.  
"You know, Pen" Leo began, choosing his words carefully. "the way I see it, we could all die on this quest. I mean, we're off to battle the most powerful divine being, like, ever, and there's just seven, sorry eight, of us, against an entire army of Gaia's. So odds are we might all get killed, and just because you can't remember your past or haven't been on a quest before, that doesn't make it more probable for you to snuff it. We'll just have to try our best, all of us."  
Leo was actually impressed with himself for thinking of those words, and surprised when he found that he did believe them to be true. After all, neither Jason, Piper or him had had any experience before embarking on their first quest, and they had returned, hadn't they?  
Well, he guessed Jason had been on dangerous quests before, but like Penelope, he hadn't remembered his past.  
"Thanks, repair boy." Penelope said, looking directly at him now.  
She was so close that Leo could see a thin circle of purple around her pupils, something he'd never noticed before. He was always too focused on the bright turquoise around them.  
For a moment neither of them spoke, and then Pen giggled.  
"What?" Leo asked, confused.  
"Well, I just didn't know you could be so deep" his friend laughed, poking him in the side.

"Hey!" Leo said, indignantly. He had only been trying to make her feel better, after all.  
"Oh come on, Leo. That's very unlike you, you have to admit."  
Her laugh was so contagious, Leo couldn't help but join in.  
"Well, wadda ya know, I might have more skills than you think I do." he chuckled, poking Penelope back.  
This made her prop herself onto one elbow and grin.  
"Oh yeah?" she said, challengingly.  
"Yup. I'm just full of surprises and unexpected talents." he answered, puffing his chest out.  
"Sure you are." Pen laughed "But I bet running isn't one of them."  
"Huh?" Leo asked, but before he realised what she was doing, Pen had sprung up and started to sprint away.  
"Last one to camp has to do the other's chores for a week!" she yelled over her shoulder, her dark hair flying like a banner in the wind.  
"We'll see about that!" Leo called back, and raced after her, a grin on his face.


	14. Chapter 14: The Trip

**Thank you, to whoever's reading this story!  
I know the last few chapters weren't too action packed, but don't worry, that's about to change! I only own Penelope.  
Don't forget the three R's: **_**READ, REVIEW, REPEAT! **_**  
~thegirlwiththetrident**

Chapter fourteen: The Trip

~Penelope's POV ~

At the crack of dawn, Penelope woke up, a plan formed in her head, as if the gears in her mind had been working all night to make it.  
Another week had passed since the day she'd spent at the beach with Leo, and since then she'd done nothing but train, learn and, when Leo (Piper or sometimes even Annabeth forced her) take a break.  
It wasn't that she was always this driven, or at least she didn't think she was, but hearing Chleo's death sentence had made her determined to prove her sister wrong.  
Just because she had no clue of her old life, wouldn't mean she was going to fail.  
Already she had learnt a lot: Her magic skills were getting better all the time, and even Chleo was impressed with the progress she was making. Her hand to hand combat skills had also improved. The only thing that still bothered her was sword-fighting, a skill she never thought she would master. Ah well.  
Today, there would be none of that. Today, Penelope wanted to _live, _to see normal things, experience an average day in the life of a teenage girl. She had only a vague idea of what that would look like, memorising everything the others ever mentioned.  
Pizza, for example. She really wanted to have pizza.  
And with Leo telling her yesterday that they would be ready to leave in only a week, she was desperate to have her shot at a normal day before embarking on the quest.  
So, she got dressed quietly in the clothes Chleo and Lou had given her, packed a bag with some mortal money she'd taken from the Hecate stash (it wasn't stealing, they were all allowed to take some when they needed it) and two golden drachmas.  
Then, she braided her hair down one side, and quietly slipped past her snoring siblings and out into the fresh morning air.  
Here, Penelope hesitated. Would it be wiser not to ask Chiron for permission? After all, he might not grant it, and then she'd never get out. And she so wanted to.  
First things first, she told herself, picking a pebble up from the ground and turning it in her hand.  
This was one of her favourite tricks, and it wasn't long before the pebble had begun to glow, not too bright, but just enough to wake somebody up.  
That was the theory, at least.  
Holding the pebble carefully in her hand, Penelope made her way to the Aphrodite cabin first.  
There was an open window at the back, for which Penelope was thankful, and through which she let her little light float in, concentrating hard on keeping it aloft.  
It drifted over to Piper's bed, and gently tapped her nose, shining its light into her eyes.  
"Gerroff me" the girl mumbled, making a sweeping motion with her hand, which the pebble dodged easily.  
Finally, Piper opened her eyes, saw the pebble and looked around confusedly. When she spotted Pen standing in front of her window, waving, her face turned even more perplexed.  
Quietly, Piper picked her way across the room until she was standing in front of the window as well and asked "Pen, what're you doing here?"  
"Fancy a trip?" Penelope grinned, holding up her bag.  
"Where to?" Piper yawned, rubbing her eyes.  
"Town" Pen whispered back, her voice excited.  
This woke the other girl up, and she said under her breath "What, outside camp? Now?"  
Pen nodded and after a minutes hesitation, Piper started to smile as well.  
"Well" she said "I think a trip to town might be nice actually."  
Just then one of the other girls, Drew, gave a loud grunt.  
"Meet you outside in ten minutes" Piper whispered, handing the pebble back to Penelope, who waved and disappeared from the window.  
Great, she thought, that wonderful feeling of anticipation filling her inside, one down, three to go.  
Next, Penelope made her way to the Athena cabin. There were no windows open here.  
This left her a little at a loss, so she peered into each window in turn, trying to see if Annabeth was still asleep. But, to her surprise, Annabeth wasn't in her bunk, and as far as Penelope could see, she wasn't even inside her cabin.  
That's odd, she thought, looking around.  
Annabeth must have gotten up even earlier than she had.  
Penelope was about to go look for her elsewhere, when her eyes got caught on one of the cabins. Cabin number three to be exact.  
Maybe, just maybe...  
As quietly as she could, Penelope prised the door of the Poseidon cabin open, looking inside.  
Sure enough, there was a blonde haired figure sleeping in one of the beds, her body curled up and her face pressed into the pillow.

Oh Annabeth...Penelope thought sadly, her heart squeezing at the sight of her friend.  
Carefully, she made her way towards the bunk, and stopped there.  
The last time she'd been inside here, she'd lain down on one of the beds right by the door, too scared to have a closer look around.  
But now, she couldn't help herself, and she took a moment to simply gaze at the inside of the cabin.  
It was beautiful, and calming, and a part of her knew it belonged here.  
Why though? That was just another of the questions Penelope' been constantly asking herself since she'd woken up here at camp...  
None of that today! She reminded herself firmly, and bent down to shake Annabeth's shoulder.  
"Annabeth"  
"Mhm..."  
"Annabeth, wake up" Pen said a little more firmly.  
The daughter of Athena opened her eyes, her gaze unfocused.  
"Come one, brainy, we're going on a trip." Pen told here, pulling away the covers.  
"Penelope, don't do that!" Annabeth yanked the blanket back up. "Where are we going?"  
"A trip" Pen repeated and when Annabeth simply stared at her, she elaborated "To town, today. Piper's already getting dressed."  
"Are we allowed?" Annabeth asked, suspiciously.  
"Gods, who cares Annabeth." Pen rolled her eyes at her friend's words.  
"We could get into serious trouble" Annabeth said, but already she sounded like the idea pleased her.  
"You leave camp all the time!" Pen exclaimed, and Annabeth hushed her.  
"Sh! Yeah, but I go to visit Sally, that's different."  
"So we could just say we tagged along" Pen smiled, and when the blonde girl still didn't seem convinced, she added "Come on, a little bit of normal would do you some good, too. Please?"  
She put all of her persuasion into her voice, and finally Annabeth gave in.  
"Okay. A little bit of normal sounds good."  
"Great! Now all we have to do is get Jason and Leo!" Pen said, already half-way outside.  
"Wait, Penelope!" Annabeth called her back.  
"What?"  
"Why don't we have a girl's day out?"  
Penelope considered the idea. Spending sometime with her two friends sounded like a good idea, and she couldn't help but notice that the thought of a girl's outing seemed to make Annabeth happy too. And if there was anything Penelope could do to take her friend's mind of her missing boyfriend, she would do it. Even if that meant Leo might be offended.  
"Yeah" she nodded "that sounds great"  
"Meet you in ten, then." 

Quarter of an hour later, the three girls were walking up Half-Blood Hill.  
Just before they crossed the border, Annabeth turned to the other two and gave them some final instructions.  
"Right, if you see a monster, no matter how big or small, _don't _try to fight it on your own, okay? We stay together, we hopefully stay safe. Also, wear this." she brought out a little bottle of silver liquid.  
"What's that?" Piper asked.  
"It's perfume, to mask our demigod scent. I wear it when I go outside, and although it's not very strong, it should be enough to help us get into safely town at least."  
Thankful for Annabeth's thoughtfulness, Penelope took the little bottle and gave first her friends, then herself a few good sprays.  
"Right" she said, her anticipation suddenly turning into nervousness. "Here goes nothing."  
And with that, Penelope made her first step out of camp.  
The world didn't stop turning, and the sky didn't come falling down, so she assumed she was all right.  
The other two came as well, and they made their way to a bus stop, which was about half an hour away, Annabeth leading the way.  
All the time, Penelope couldn't help but look over her shoulder repeatedly, and jump at every little sound.  
"Calm down, magic girl!" Piper laughed, shoving Pen to the side, who turned red and grinned.  
"Sorry" she said "It's just so...new."  
And it was, as if she'd never experienced anything like this, and for all she knew, she hadn't.  
Sure, she knew what a road looked like, and cars too, though how she knew, that was completely unclear. Had she lived in a town before?

Maybe New York would seem familiar. Penelope knew it was a slim hope.  
Finally, they arrived at the bus stop, and another while later, they got off in the midst of a city that was already busy and filled with noise.  
"Wow." Penelope breathed, trying to take in everything at once. "This is amazing."  
And it was: There were all sorts of shops and cafés, people of every kind walking past her, some wearing the most ridiculous clothes, others dressed sophistically on their way to work.  
The noise, the smell, the sights; it all crashed in on Penelope, and for a moment she felt quite overwhelmed.  
The others must have realised this, for they laughed and said "How about we get you a drink first, huh? You haven't been to New York until you've gone to Starbucks."  
"Starbucks?" Penelope asked, confused.  
"You Miss," Piper said, conspiratorially "are in for a treat."  
And as the girls pulled her down another road full of people, Penelope couldn't help but think that this might turn out as one of the best days she'd had so far.  
Or one of the worst. 


	15. Chapter 15: Reality Check

**Exciting new chapter for you here!  
Although I think there are not very many who are reading this story, I hope those who do enjoy it :)  
I don't own PJO/HoO  
Don't forget to review! **

Chapter fifteen: Reality Check  
~Pen's POV~

The morning was amazing. Annabeth, Piper, and Penelope had breakfast and coffee at Starbucks, and Pen couldn't believe how good it tasted.  
All around them, people were sitting staring at laptops like the one Annabeth had, immersed in whatever they were tipping into the machines.  
Then, they'd decided to stroll down the avenue, Piper and Annabeth pointing out famous sites for her, or Annabeth telling the other two of the Great Battle of Manhattan, when she and Percy Jackson had defeated the evil titan Kronos.  
Penelope couldn't help but shiver at the story, and think about what she might one day be telling people about the quest they were about to go on.  
"Muffins!" Piper suddenly cried, and Penelope jumped.  
Sure enough, there was a little shop just to their right, and the most delicious scent was wafting through the open doors into the street.  
They each got a muffin, and Penelope savoured every bit of hers, the chocolate exploding in her mouth.  
Soon they were walking past clothes shops, and Pen, blushing slightly, asked Annabeth and Piper if they could maybe go buy some things for her to wear.  
"Sure" Piper grinned, and Penelope bit back a remark on how her friend's inner Aphrodite was showing.  
"Why?" Annabeth asked.  
"I don't have any of my own." Penelope murmured, embarrassed.  
"Oh gods, Pen, I'm so sorry! Of course we can go buy some!" and with that Annabeth grabbed her hand and pulled her into the nearest shop, a little overenthusiastic.  
In the end, Penelope bought two bags full of clothing, nothing too fancy, but rather stuff that fit well and wouldn't get in the way during a fight.  
In the shop Penelope had noticed a girl, maybe a few years older than they, staring at them in line for the cashier.  
She had had bright red hair and dark eyes, that sparkled in a menacing way.  
But she didn't look like a monster or anything, so Penelope decided to ignore her. There were bound to be people like Drew out here in the real world, as well.  
The rest of the morning passed quickly and soon they were sitting in an Italian restaurant and had ordered three huge pizzas.  
When Penelope's arrived, she took a moment to simply stare at it, and see if it brought up any memories. So far, nothing in town had, and the pizza, despite it's whole round glory, sadly didn't remind her of anything either.  
Half an hour later, just as they were walking down a side street to get to some library Annabeth wanted to visit, an IM appeared before them.  
After a few seconds, Jason's head came into focus, grinning at them "Hey Pipes, hey you two"

he smiled.  
"Jason!" Piper grinned, pushing her hair back. "What's up?"  
"How come you three get to go on a trip and I'm stuck here with Mr Moody?" Jason whined comically. He gestured behind him, where they could just make out Leo, working on the Argo II, a fuming expression on his face.  
"Sulking is he?" Annabeth laughed and Jason nodded.  
"Terrible. Didn't know he had the ability to be anything other than totally annoying all the time, but he hasn't said anything for ages." Jason whispered, glancing behind him to make sure Leo wasn't listening. "You know, except how horrible you three are"  
They all laughed, told Jason when they were planing to come back, and said goodbye.  
"Take care" the blonde haired boy replied, and the IM disappeared.  
"That's very unlike Leo", Piper commented, as they continued walking down the narrow alley.  
Annabeth nodded and both of them looked at Penelope.  
"What?" she said, trying to sound casual, but she had a feeling she knew what her friends were getting at.  
"Leo's different with you around." Annabeth said, her eyes shining knowingly.  
"Is he?" Penelope answered, off-handedly, trying to hide the nervous flutter she got in her stomach. It couldn't be true what the others were implying anyway...  
"Er, guys?" Piper said suddenly, stopping dead. "Weren't we walking down a street?"  
"Yes why?" Annabeth answered, her eyes on the map in her hands.  
"Because this a dead end."  
"Wait, what?"  
Both Penelope and Annabeth looked up, and saw the brick wall in front of them, blocking their way.  
"That's odd." Penelope said, the nervous feeling inside her strengthening.  
"That wasn't here before." Annabeth said, a dark look entering her eyes. "We'd better get out of here."  
"_Too late for that, girlsss." _a voice suddenly hissed behind them.  
They all wheeled around, and Penelope recognized the girl from the shop. Only her face was transforming, becoming old and wrinkled and half rotten, her mouth filled with sharp teeth, and her body grew until it towered over them. Only the eyes were as black as before.  
"RUN!" Annabeth yelled, but the creature was blocking their way, and the wall stood behind them.  
They were trapped.  
The demon laughed, and pulled spikes out of her greasy red hair. They spikes were celestial bronze, but they were dripping with a dark green slime, that Penelope bet was poisonous.  
Her heart was beating fast, adrenaline pumping through her body. Although she was scared, a weird determination filled her at that moment.  
She had made Piper and Annabeth come with her, and she wouldn't let them die because of that.  
A glance at the other two showed her that they'd already gotten out their weapons, which made her realise that she didn't have one. None of the ones at camp had been fitting, but now even an unbalanced sword seemed like a treat. Yet she didn't have one.  
With a roar, the demon threw a handful of her spikes at them, which they managed to avoid.  
Piper darted behind the creature and tried to stab it, but it was too quick. With a swipe of its arm, Piper was sent flailing backwards through the air, landing hard on her back, a few yards away.  
"Hey, stupid!" Annabeth yelled, and the demon turned its attention on her. What was she doing? Penelope thought desperately, as Annabeth backed into a corner. Then, her friend shot her a meaningful look and Penelope understood.  
The spikes were still scattered everywhere, and with a wrench, she tugged one out of the ground.  
Thankfully, its slime seemed to have evaporated and although it was short, at least it was a weapon.  
Now, Penelope concentrated on getting behind the demon, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Piper get back up, and run over to Annabeth.  
She managed to take the demon by surprise, and stabbed it in the side with Katoptris, and as the creature wailed in pain, Piper grabbed Annabeth and all of them ran, as fast as they could, back up the alley.  
But when they reached its end, the creature was already there, baring down upon them.  
"Piper, duck!" Annabeth cried, as it flung one of its sharp spikes at the daughter of Aphrodite, who only just managed to dodge it.  
"_You cannot defeat me, demigods. I am Mormo, and I am all powerful" _it said, its horrible voice sending chills up Penelope's back. She couldn't remember what kind of mythical creature Mormo was, but at that moment it hardly mattered.  
Again, Annabeth was trying to get at Mormo from behind, but it was as if the demon could see out of the back of her head. She simply cackled and easily avoided Annabeth's assault.  
"Foolish girl" she growled all of a sudden, swiping at Penelope, who had picked up one of the spikes again and was now aiming it.  
The arm of the demon caught her right across the middle, and she fell backwards landing hard on her shoulder, the spike flying out of her reach.  
"_You are a missstake_. _You need to be disspossed_" Mormo hissed, advancing on Penelope, whose mind had gone completely blank. _Think _she told herself. The only thing to do was try to get Mormo's attention, so that the other two could either kill her or run to safety.  
"What do you mean, I'm a mistake?" Penelope tried to keep her voice strong and sure.

"_You were never supposed to-"_  
but then Mormo's face contorted, and she yowled in pain, whirling around. With her back turned, Penelope could see the bronze knife sticking out of it, but it didn't seem like Annabeth's dagger was doing a lot of harm.  
Mormo simply yelled enraged, and made a claw like gesture with her right hand.  
For one bewildered moment, Penelope thought she was making the ancient sign for warding off evil, but then purple flames sprung to life in the demon's hand. They grew, until they resembled a blazing ball of purple light, which Mormo now flung at Annabeth, who was standing with her back against a house front.  
In a moment of horrible clarity, Penelope realised that her friend would have no time to dodge the deathly purple ball of power, and so she did the only thing that seemed to make sense: she dove straight in front of Annabeth, intercepting the flames with her own body.  
"Penelope!" she heard Piper scream, and the next moment everything turned purple, as the flames engulfed her body.  
But strangely, they didn't hurt, quite the opposite actually.  
The purple fire made Penelope feel more powerful, as if she'd just drunken a whole jug of nectar. Despite their situation, she grinned, letting the flames continue to dance around her, obscuring her from the others.  
Mormo was laughing, and the other girls were yelling desperately.  
And then, just at the right moment, Penelope channelled the flames on her body into her hands and sent them, with all her might, shooting straight at the demons face, which had barely time to register it's approaching death, before it exploded in a shower of dust.  
The silence that followed was so absolute, that it made Penelope uneasy.  
She could now see the two girls, standing next to each other, staring at her with dumbfounded expressions.  
"How did you..." Piper said, weakly.  
Penelope shrugged, which sent a stab of sharp pain through her shoulder. She was unable to explain what had just happened.  
Thankfully, they had a daughter of Athena with them, and as always, Annabeth didn't fail to answer the question.  
"It's a blessing of her mother." she told the others, her voice awed and what sounded like intimidated at the same time.  
"Those were magical flames, and extremely powerful ones. They should have killed you..." Annabeth's face was now unreadable. "...but you just made them your own. Your mother must have given you the power to wield them, and that's extremely rare."  
What was it in Annabeth's voice that made Penelope feel like she'd done something wrong?  
Hadn't she just saved them by using those flames? Why did it sound like a crime then?  
"But I don't understand" Annabeth continued, now troubled.  
"What?" Piper asked.  
"That creature, she called herself Mormo. But according to the legends, Mormo was Hecate's companion. She would never be allowed to harm a child of her mistress. Unless..." and now Annabeth trailed off, glancing at Penelope with something like pity in her eyes.  
"Unless what?" Piper asked again, looking from one to the other.  
But Penelope didn't need Annabeth to explain. She understood what her friend was trying to say.  
It made her feel sick.  
"Unless" she explained to Piper, averting her gaze "Unless her mistress ordered her to. Unless my mother wants me dead."


	16. Chapter 16: Reprimanded

**Thank you to the people who read this! You're awesome!  
Disclaimer is (you guessed it) same as always. **

Chapter sixteen: Reprimanded  
~Penelope's POV~

The way back took them longer than the way there, as all three of them were scratched up and bruised, Piper was limping and Penelope's shoulder still hurt like hell.  
All the time they didn't speak, until Penelope couldn't bare it any longer.  
"I'm sorry" she told her friends, her voice crushed.  
"Pen, it wasn't -" Piper started to say, but Penelope cut her off  
"Yes it was. I asked you to go on this trip with me, it's my fault you got hurt. I just" to her horror tears started to well up in her eyes "I just wanted to be normal, for a day. To know what it's like to be...just a girl."

Her friends looked at her sadly, and Annabeth took her hand and gave it a squeeze.  
"Hey, it's okay. We all feel like that sometimes. But the thing is that demigod life, monsters and all of it, that _is _our normality. You'll get used to it, don't worry."  
Although she knew that Annabeth's words were kindly meant, Penelope couldn't help but feel a little sad at them. _Monsters, that is our normality...  
_Absent-mindedly, she fingered her necklace, the one that had simply appeared around her neck when she'd awoken at camp all those weeks ago, and that couldn't fall off.  
It was a beautiful thing, with a stary design made out of black and white diamonds, strung on a leather cord. Penelope had been convinced her mother had sent it to her, to keep her safe, but now she wasn't so sure. Mormo wouldn't have tried to kill her if her Hecate hadn't allowed it, would she?  
A sigh escaped Penelope's lips.  
"That's pretty" Annabeth said, obviously trying to distract her. "When did you get that?"  
"It was there when I woke up after Leo found me. I don't think it comes off." Penelope explained.  
"That's odd, I've never noticed it before." Annabeth's brow furrowed.  
"Me neither" Piper said. "Let it go for a second Pen."  
She did so, and the other two whistled.  
"Nice! It seems to go invisible when you're not touching it with you hands." Piper smiled.  
Penelope looked down as best as she could at her neck, yet she could still see the pendant.  
She told the girls so, but Annabeth didn't seem surprised at all. "That's normal with magical items."

Half an hour later, they arrived back at camp, and slowly made their way up the hill.  
Penelope was feeling pretty nervous about being reprimanded by Chiron, and felt guilty for her friends' injuries, even though those could be healed by a little nectar.  
When they got to the Big House however, three other people beside Chiron were waiting for them: Jason, Chleo and Leo.  
Jason looked relieved when he saw them, and jogged over, scooping Piper up in his arms.  
"Thank the gods you're okay! You're much later than you told me."  
"Sorry" Piper's voice came out muffled against Jason's shoulder. "We, er, got held up."  
Chiron and Chleo looked relieved as well, though Chleo's face was slightly disapproving.  
There was one face though, that looked very angry.  
"What were you thinking!" Leo shouted, rounding on them. "You could have been killed out there! That was the stupidest thing you could've ever done!"  
Annabeth and Piper looked pretty taken aback at this outburst, which nobody had expected from the usually so cheerful Leo, but Penelope shifted guiltily.  
"Leo" Chiron put a calming hand on Leo's shoulder, trying to calm the son of Hephaestus down, but Leo merely shrugged him off, and walked away, fuming.  
"Don't worry, he'll calm down" the centaur said, an amused look on his face "As for you three-"  
"Chiron, it was my idea. I asked them to come with me, because I wanted to explore the town a bit. I'm so sorry, please don't punish Piper or Annabeth." Penelope quickly said, her cheeks turning bright red.  
But Chiron only chuckled. "I wasn't going to punish anyone of you, Penelope. I thought it a good idea for you to get a, let's say, reality check, before you embark on your quest. As for attracting monsters, which is I assume, what held you up, well, as demigods you can hardly help it."  
This was not what Penelope had expected, and the weight she'd felt on her shoulders since encountering Mormo seemed to lift a bit.  
"Now, please go to the sickroom and each get a square of ambrosia. And then, to dinner."  
Chiron said, turning away from them. 

They did as they were told, and then, feeling better, made their way back to the cabins.  
"We'll see you guys at dinner" Piper winked at them, following Jason into cabin one.  
Annabeth rolled her eyes and then turned to Penelope.  
"Listen, Pen, two things. First, don't beat yourself up about the Mormo thing. We'll tell Chiron all about it tomorrow and we'll figure it out. And second, I think you should go talk to Leo."  
It was amazing, Penelope thought, how Annabeth always seemed to know exactly where the problem was. She nodded, and then, on impulse, gave the blonde girl a hug, who returned it.  
"I'll go change." Annabeth smiled, as she walked over to the Athena cabin.  
"I'll see you at dinner." Chleo told Penelope, and then added "and I'm glad you're okay."  
With that, she walked off, leaving Pen to face cabin nine.  
Sighing, she knocked on the door, but when Nyssa opened, she told her that Leo wasn't there.  
Of course not, Penelope thought, and then made her way to Bunker nine instead.  
There, she wasn't surprised to find the door unlocked, and, slowly, swung it open.  
"Leo?" she called, looking around.  
"What do you want?" his voice called back, from somewhere inside the Argo II.  
He didn't sound happy, though maybe not as angry as before.  
Penelope climbed into the ship, and after a few minutes searching found Leo in his room on his bed, fiddling with some wires in his hand.  
Penelope sat down at the end of the bed, but Leo didn't look at her.  
"I'm sorry" she said, quietly.  
For a moment, her friend didn't say anything and then, with a sigh said: "I know why you did it.  
But you scared me Pen. You could have been seriously hurt. I don't want you to get hurt."  
Leo's brown eyes looked troubled, and inside, Penelope felt that nervous fluttering again.  
She had gotten used to Leo acting protective about her, but only now did she start to think that maybe it was a little more than that. Maybe.  
"I know. I'm sorry." she repeated, her voice even softer.  
Finally, Leo met her gaze, and now the familiar devilish smile crept back on his face.  
"Just promise me one thing." he said.  
"What?"  
"Next time you go, take me with you"


	17. Chapter 17: Leaving Camp

**So this is just a short chapter from Annabeth's POV, but I really wanted to write about them leaving camp, which I guess was very emotional for them.  
Next chapter will probably be put up later today, and in it Percy and Penelope will be meeting for the first time!  
Enjoy this xx**

Chapter seventeen: Leaving camp  
~Annabeth's POV~

The day had finally come.  
After months of waiting in agony for this, today they would finally leave Camp Half-Blood and start their dangerous journey.  
And although she knew it would be the biggest challenge any of them had ever faced and that there was a good chance they might not come back, Annabeth could hardly wait.  
Percy.  
She would be seeing Percy again in a few hours.  
A nervousness settled on her, and she tried to distract herself by checking and rechecking everything.  
All their supplies on the Argo II? Check.  
Ship ready and strong? Check.  
Her stuff packed and ready to go? Check.  
All travellers on board? Not yet.  
At the moment they were saying goodbye to the other campers.  
Everyone had come to see them off, and there were a few tears here and there.  
Lilly, a daughter of Demeter, gave Annabeth a huge squeeze and mumbled "Try to come back, okay?"  
Annabeth smiled down at the little girl and nodded, hugging her back.  
Jason was talking to Chiron, and Piper and some friends hugging tightly before Piper came over to her.  
"So, this is it" she commented, looking nervous herself.  
"Yep." Annabeth nodded

"Excited?"  
"Just a little." Annabeth answered dryly.  
Piper grinned at her, and then went to put her own bags in the ship.  
When she'd said goodbye to everyone, Annabeth walked over to Chiron, who had just finished talking to Jason, and was now smiling a little sadly at her.  
"Goodbye, Chiron." now Annabeth could feel tears welling up in her own eyes. The centaur had always been like a father to her, and had practically raised her since she was seven.  
"Until we see each other again, Annabeth. Take care. I know you will do well." he said, holding his arms out.  
She gave him a big hug, and felt some of the pressure lift off of her.  
"Thanks. For everything." a few tears found their way out of the corner of her eye.  
Chiron smiled again, and followed her to the ship.  
The others were already on board, all except Penelope who was standing talking to Chleo.  
As she watched them, Annabeth couldn't help but wonder how it would be when her friend met Percy. He was Poseidon's son after all, and maybe the mystery of Penelope's connection with the sea god would be solved, or become a little clearer at least. She'd have to wait and find out.  
Now Chleo was holding out to Pen, who took it, eyes widening, looked at it and the back up at the older girl, who nodded.  
They embraced, and Annabeth noticed that she'd never seen Chleo hug anyone before.  
She wanted to know what she'd given Penelope, and decided to ask her about it later.  
Then, when Pen had climbed on as well, they all stood at the railing, waving down at the others.  
There were many cries of "Good luck!" and "Come back!" and "Kick ol' dirt face for us!" and Annabeth smiled and waved her hand in farewell.  
These people were her family and she would do all she could to save them.  
Slowly, the Argon II started to levitate, and Annabeth looked down at Camp Half-Blood, memorizing its every feature, even though she already knew it so well. The strawberry fields, the lake sparkling in the sunshine, the arena, the Big House and the forest.  
This had been her home for nine years.  
This was the home she would be fighting for. 


	18. Chapter 18: The Romans

**Here's the second update for today :) Might do another one, actually.  
I found this a little difficult to write, and it's really just a bit of a filler, so we can get  
to more exciting parts of the story! **

**Hope you like it anyway xx**

Chapter eighteen: The Romans  
~Leo's POV ~

The flight took less time than they'd originally anticipated.  
Within a couple of hours, and after sending his video message ahead, Leo could see the valley where Jason had said the camp was in the distance.  
The view of the landscape was awesome, and he smiled as the wind blew through his hair.  
All he needed now was some friendly Roman demigods and he'd be golden.  
Just then Annabeth and Penelope came up to where he was standing, and leaned against the railing, Annabeth to his left, Penelope to his right.  
"Everything all right, captain?" Annabeth said. She was trying to sound casual and joking, but Leo could detect the definite nervousness in her voice. It was obvious that she was scared about what the outcome of the next few hours would be. They all were.  
"Just wanted to remind you to raise the white flag." Annabeth told him.  
"I still think the smiley would have worked better." Leo grumbled, which made a smile appear on Penelope's face, and a frown on Annabeth's.  
"Just do it, okay?"  
"Yeah, yeah, I will." Leo replied, rolling his eyes. Annabeth could be _so_ bossy, sometimes.  
"And I wanted to tell you something else." now her tone was uneasy. "Ever since we've boarded here I've been feeling this cold-"  
BOOM. A loud bang came from beneath, followed by Coach Hedge's swears.  
"I'd better check it out" Annabeth said, hurrying off.  
"What's she been feeling?" Leo asked Penelope, who shrugged her shoulders.  
"No idea."  
Leo watched his friend, as she gazed raptly at the scenery beneath them, her turquoise eyes widened in wonder.  
"Amazing, huh?"  
"Oh yes" she breathed, turning around to smile at him, causing his insides to flutter a bit. "It's breathtaking."  
_It sure is...  
_"So when will we be there?" Pen asked, bringing Leo back to the present.  
"Oh, er, about ten minutes, I think."  
Penelope nodded, touching her necklace nervously.  
It had been a surprise for Leo when Piper had told him about its part-time invisibility, as he'd always been able to see it, whether Penelope was touching it or not.  
He couldn't explain it though, so he decided to simply accept it. After all, it wasn't the strangest thing in his life.  
"Better get ready" Pen smiled, letting go of the railing. Unexpectedly, she gave his shoulder a squeeze when she walked by and said "See you later, fire boy. Don't forget the flag." She left.  
When Leo turned back to the controls, there was a smile on his face.

Several minutes later, after an encounter with a statue that had some serious anger-management issues, the crew of the Argo II (except Coach Hedge) were standing in front of a crowd of Romans.  
Leo thought they looked okay, except that some of them were wearing weird bed sheets or whatever.  
There was one girl who looked like the leader and was really pretty, and next to her stood the famous Percy Jackson.  
He was pretty much what Leo had expected, and looked like someone he could be friends with.  
When Percy introduced himself, Leo watched Penelope out of the corner of his eye.  
She didn't show any visible signs of recognition, except maybe the hint of a frown as Percy said his name. Leo'd have to talk to her about it later.  
Right now the pretty girl, Reyna, was leading them to a place called the forum so they could have some food, which suited Leo just fine.  
Just before they walked into the forum, he felt a cold tingling down his spine, but put it off for the moment as nerves.  
The inside was pretty cool, and soon Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Percy, Reyna, Penelope, two Roman kids called Frank and Hazel, himself and a bunch of others were sitting on the floor, enjoying the Roman food. Leo noticed that the girl Hazel kept shooting him funny looks. What was all that about?  
The next half an hour or so they exchanged stories, Jason telling the Romans all about their quest to free Hera and Percy telling them about his trip to Alaska. Leo was seriously impressed with this guy, and kinda intimidated.  
Then Reyna spoke.  
"So let me just see if I have gotten this right. You" she pointed at Annabeth "are the daughter of Athena" Annabeth nodded, and Reyna proceeded to name all their godly parents, a glint in her eyes. Leo found it hard to say anything when she looked at him and asked if Hephaestus was his dad, so he just nodded.  
"And you" Reyna had arrived at Penelope, who had been very quiet all the time. "You are a daughter of Hecate, or Trivia as we call her. And you say that all of you will be going on the quest described by the prophecy of the seven."  
Annabeth nodded, confirming what Reyna had just said.  
Here, Percy added that Hazel, Frank and himself would also be going on the quest, which made Reyna narrow her eyes.  
"But that would make eight heroes. And the prophecy clearly states seven."  
Penelope shifted nervously, but Piper spoke up for her.  
"Actually, there is a second part to the prophecy. Our oracle, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, spoke it only a few weeks ago.."  
She explained everything, including how Penelope had arrived at Camp Half-Blood and how they'd found out that she was the lost one of the prophecy.  
The creepy teddy-bear guy, Octupus or something, had arrived in the middle of Piper's explanation and now narrowed his eyes. "I never knew anything of this second part. Are you sure they are telling the truth, Reyna?"  
Leo did not like this kid. His weak appearance didn't fool Leo, who'd dealt with bullies like this for years.  
Reyna, although still suspicious, said "We will believe what they are saying for the time being, Octavian." and the talk turned to the quest at hand.  
Leo got a little bored, so he started making some wind-wheels and stuck them into passing wind spirits. Penelope shot him a look, and he shrugged.  
Then, a Cyclops and a harpy appeared at their table, a combination which Leo found odd, but apparently the Cyclops, Tyson, was Percy's little brother and the harpy was called Ella.  
When Ella looked at Annabeth, she started to recite what sounded like a prophecy, but the others tried to hide it.  
It was all very confusing, and Leo found himself zoning out until he heard someone say  
"Leo!" and he jumped up, looking around confusedly.  
"What?"  
"Give Octavian a tour of the Argo II. Show him everything." Annabeth's voice sounded tight, but Leo knew it was probably a good idea.  
"Okay. Come on, bear boy, I'll show you my ship."  
Octavian didn't look happy, but Reyna put her foot down, and so they ended up leaving the forum for the Argo II.  
As the Roman dude and him were walking out, Leo got that cold feeling down his spine again, like someone had just walked over his grave.


	19. Chapter 19: A Familiar Feeling

**Hello my lovelies!  
This chapter is relatively similar to what happens in the actual MoA.  
I just wanted to say that this story will sometimes be a little canon (obviously adding Penelope!) and them again sometimes very different!  
Though that's kinda obvious isn't it?  
Ah well, just wanted to say it.  
I think by now you have all realised that I'm not Rick Riordan, and if I were, I would be in trouble  
Enjoy!**

Chapter nineteen: A familiar feeling  
~Penelope's POV~

After Leo had disappeared with the creepy Roman guy, Penelope felt a little lonely.  
Jason and Piper had gone off to wander the streets of New Rome and Reyna had insisted on talking to Annabeth privately.  
This left Penelope alone with Percy after the two other Roman kids, Frank and Hazel, had excused themselves as well.  
"So.." Percy said, a little uncomfortably.  
Penelope found it difficult to look at him directly. When she'd seen him for the first time, no special recognition had come to her, but when he'd introduced himself...  
Somehow the words _Perseus Jackson _from his mouth had stirred something inside her, like the name of an old childhood friend. But that was impossible, or was it?  
She decided to give it some more time.  
"You're quite famous" she smiled at Percy, who blushed a little.  
"Yeah, not really. Just annoyed quite a few people."  
Penelope chuckled.  
"So you've got amnesia as well, have you?" Percy asked, and for some reason Penelope didn't mind him asking her. Maybe because he had suffered from memory loss as well, maybe because he was simply nice.  
"Yes. I woke up at camp without any idea who I was or how I got there."  
Percy winced, his face sympathetic.  
"Believe me, I can relate. It's a pretty crappy way to feel. But can't you remember anything at all?"  
Penelope remembered Percy telling them how he'd still known the name _Annabeth _when he'd awoken at the wolf house. Sadly, the same wasn't true for herself.  
"Only my name. Penelope R. Well, I guess that's not even my full name, is it" she laughed a little embarrassedly, but Percy didn't join in.  
"That must be hard." he said, and Penelope was surprised at his compassion. Annabeth had always described him as a little, what had she said, full of kelp?  
Yet Penelope decided she like this Percy Jackson. And maybe he could help her find out who she actually was.  
So, she chose to trust him and said, looking directly into his sea green eyes,  
"Listen, Percy. When I arrived at camp, the Hecate cabin wasn't the only one I felt a connection with. There was another one. Yours.  
And when I heard Annabeth tell me your name, it rang some sort of bell, though I have no idea why. We haven't met before, have we?"  
Percy's face was serious. He didn't answer immediately, hesitating.  
Then, he said. "No, I don't think we have. But..." he struggled to find words "I kinda have the same feeling. That I know you. No idea why, though."  
This surprised Penelope. So Percy recognised her, too. What did it mean?  
"Hey," Percy smiled kind of helplessly at her, shrugging his shoulders "If it means anything, we'll probably find out soon. My guess it's just Hera messing with our heads again. Or the mist. Like that girl, Piper? Didn't she say that her and the Hephaestus guy thought they knew Jason as well?"  
Penelope nodded, unconvinced.  
Somehow, she knew that the familiar feeling between them was not a trick of the mist, but something else.  
What, she didn't know.  
"Maybe you're a descendant of Poseidon. Frank is." Percy offered.  
He was kind of cute, in a scruffy way. Penelope only wished she knew why he felt so familiar, almost important, to her.  
She opened her mouth to suggest they go find the others, when there was a huge _boom_ like an explosion, coming from the direction of the Argo II.  
"What was that?!" Percy yelled, starting to run towards the ship.  
Penelope followed him, reaching to pull out the dagger-like knife she had taken to carrying around after the incident with Mormo. It was called a stylet, and out of all the weapons in the tool shed back at camp, it had felt the most fitting.  
Then she realised it wasn't there, as the statue hadn't allowed them to take any weapons inside New Rome.  
When Percy and her rounded the corner, it was a terrible sight.  
Angry Romans were picking up random objects to use as missiles, aiming them at Piper and Jason, who were trying to fight them off, Piper desperately talking to the Romans.  
But the charmspeak didn't work, and just then a brick hit Jason above the eyebrow, making him crumple to the ground.  
"Piper!" Penelope yelled, as she charged through the angry crowd, getting punched in the side a couple of times. She didn't care though, all she needed to do was reach her friends, to protect them.  
Then, another blast erupted right next to them, coming from the ballistae of the Argo II.  
What was happening up there? Penelope thought desperately, as she tried to shield off more bricks and objects being thrown at them.

Dimly, she was aware that some of the Roman kids, Frank and Hazel, were trying to help them, and that Percy had reached the rope ladder with Annabeth.  
Piper and herself dragged Jason over, with Hazel riding around on a magnificent horse to protect them.  
The creepy Roman guy who killed stuffed animals came running at them, but Penelope slapped him across the face so hard he fell to the side, dazed.  
"Quick!" Hazel yelled at them, and they latched onto the rope ladder, though Jason's dead weight pulled them down.  
At that moment, a huge bird flew at them, grabbed Jason and flew away.  
Piper shouted "No!" but Hazel yelled back "It's fine, it's Frank! Meet you later!" and she rode off, scattering the mob so Piper and Penelope could climb the ladder.  
They reached the top to find Percy, Annabeth and Jason already there.  
And standing at the ballistae, firing at New Rome stood ..  
"Leo!" Penelope yelled, running at him and wrenching him away from the weapons. "What are you doing?!" she cried, scanning his face, which didn't look like her friend at all.  
His eyes glowed golden, and his features were cruel. This was not Leo.  
"Annabeth, something's possessing him!" Penelope yelled at the blonde girl, whose eyes widened in horror.  
Just then, something hit the Argo II and the ship tipped precariously to the side.  
Penelope had to loosen her grip on not-Leo to stop them from falling over, and not-Leo used the moment to shove her away, making her fall hard on her back.  
For a moment, she couldn't breathe and stars danced before her eyes.  
Then, she felt the ship shoot upwards, as Annabeth yanked at the controls.  
With some effort, Penelope sat back up and saw Percy restraining Leo, who was still trying to get to the ballistae.  
She hurriedly walked over to them, and did the only thing that came to her mind.  
She slapped him across the face like Octavian, so that he staggered in Percy's arms.  
But when he looked up at her, his eyes were mercifully their usual chocolatey brown colour.  
"Pen..wha-?" he mumbled, before slumping over.  
"Give him here" Penelope told Percy firmly, who complied willingly, giving her the motionless from of Leo.  
Carefully, Penelope guided him onto the floor, putting his head in her lap.  
"Oh Leo. What happened to you?" She murmured.  
Just then, the boy's eyelids fluttered, and he opened them, confused at all the attention.  
There was a lot of explaining to be done. 


	20. Chapter 20: Unsatisfactory Explanations

**Hello, little chapter for you here!  
Next one might be up today as well :)  
Enjoy!  
(I don't own HoO/PJO)**

Chapter twenty: Unsatisfactory Explanations  
~Leo's POV~

When Leo opened his eyes, he saw Annabeth, Frank and Percy staring at him. And why was he lying on the ground with his head in someone's lap?  
Oh, that someone was Penelope...He felt his cheeks redden.  
"Why are you all staring at me?" he asked, noticing how his cheek hurt and his arms were bruised.  
No one said anything for a moment, and then Pen said quietly  
"Leo, don't you remember what happened?"  
He thought, and it all came flooding back to him, well, as much as it could.  
He remembered how he'd been showing the Roman git around, when a cold feeling had spread _inside _his head. Then, he'd shoved Octavian away and went over to the ballistae, firing on New Rome.  
Oh gods...  
His horrified expression must have shown on his face, because Annabeth said  
"You do know what happened. What made you do that?" her voice was shocked, and they were all looking at him with, was it distrust?  
That hurt him, and he tried to explain the coldness and everything, though some, Percy and Frank  
for example, didn't look convinced.  
"Look" Leo said, desperately "I'm sorry I-"  
Percy suddenly rounded on him, his face angry "You're sorry?! You just fired on our future allies! Not that there'll be any chance of that happening now! That was Jason's, Frank's and Hazel's home!  
And you say sorry?"  
Leo shrunk back, the expression on Percy's face was scary.  
Then, Annabeth put a hand on Percy's arm, keeping him back.  
"Percy, that wasn't Leo's fault. He must have been possessed or something, I've been feeling that coldness, too. We just have to make sure it won't happen again."  
The son of Poseidon didn't seem happy, but he stopped glowering at Leo at least, who now noticed that some people were missing.  
"Where're Piper, Jason and the other girl?" he asked.  
"Piper's downstairs with Coach Hedge and Jason." Penelope said quietly "Jason got hurt."  
"What?" Leo yelped "Is he going to be okay?"  
"We don't know" Percy said, who now looked more miserable than angry.  
"And Leo, the ship's damaged. We need you to fix it, please." Annabeth told him. "And then we can talk about what happened to you."  
Leo nodded, ready to go talk to Festus and check what exactly needed repairing.  
"How do we make sure it doesn't happen again?" the big guy, Frank, muttered.  
Leo looked at him, only to see Frank eyeing him with suspicion. This made Leo feel worse.  
"We can use the buddy system." Percy said, and the others nodded.  
Annabeth went downstairs to check on Jason, Percy followed her and Frank lumbered off to wherever, which left Leo and Pen alone.  
Penelope helped him up, and Leo noticed she winced a little.  
"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.  
"What? Oh, yes, it's nothing." Pen answered, not meeting his eyes.  
Oh gods.."Did I do that?" Leo wanted to know, horrified.  
She didn't answer at first, then nodded.  
Leo closed his eyes in horror. Why did it have to happen to him?  
"Hey" Pen said, softly "You weren't yourself. And anyway, I slapped you."  
This made Leo open his eyes. "You did?"  
She nodded, blushing "It was the only thing I could think of to make you snap out of it."  
She looked so ashamed, that Leo almost laughed. Almost.  
"Come on, let's go talk to Festus."  
Penelope nodded, following him.  
She wasn't angry, but Leo couldn't stop blaming himself for what had happened.  
He'd fired on New Rome. He'd destroyed their chances of an allegiance with the Romans. Jason had gotten hurt because of him. He'd hurt Penelope.  
How could he ever make this okay again?  
Well, he thought grimly, you can start by fixing the ship and getting us out of here. 


	21. Chapter 21: Tree-sap and Snake-bite

**There we are, chapter twenty one already :)  
This is quite an exciting one, so I hope you enjoy it!  
Only one more day till House of Hades, asdfjhkl I'm soo excited!  
Okay, I don't own this. Except Pen.  
Read on!**

Chapter twenty-one: Tree-sap and Snake-bite

They touched down on Great Salt lake, where Festus had sensed everything they needed:  
Lime, Celestial bronze and tar from a nearby town.  
Leo was glad that at least something was going all right again and he rounded up the others for a  
talk-through in the mess hall.  
Jason still hadn't come round, and although Coach Hedge said he would be okay, Leo couldn't help but worry.  
"Isn't there anything we can do for him?" he asked Coach, who started to shake his head, stopped and then said  
"Actually, there might be. My special Goltpine-tree-sap paste."  
"Great" Piper said "Why don't you use it then?"  
"Can't" Coach replied, rubbing his club in his hands.  
"Er, why not?"  
"Haven't got it with me"  
Leo rolled his eyes. Good thing Chiron had chosen such a responsible chaperone. Not.  
He decided to let Festus search for Goltpine trees anyway, and to his surprise, the intercom peeped after just a minute, saying that there were some of them on an island, opposite of the island where the Lime and the Bronze were.  
"Hey, Coach" Leo grinned "If we got you some tree-sap, could you make the paste?"  
Coach Hedge huffed "'Course I could, Valdez! Do I look like I'm inept at healing to you?"  
Leo thought it wiser not to answer that question but instead turned to address the others.  
The other girl, Hazel had joined them, too, arriving on that freakishly fast horse of hers.  
"So, guys, we need Lime, Celestial Bronze, Tar and apparently some Goltpine tree sap. Luckily, we can get all of that here. Let's split up into teams okay?"  
They all nodded and Percy said "I'll take Frank and Annabeth to town to get some tar"  
"Good." Leo answered. "Coach Hedge, you stay with Jason and guard the ship."  
The satyr mumbled unhappily about missing all the fun, but agreed to stay on board.  
"Right, this leaves Piper, Pen, Hazel and me" Leo said, about to propose that he and Penelope go get the Lime and Bronze when Hazel spoke up  
"You and me can go to the Lime Island on Arion, Leo."  
This took Leo aback, and he wondered why Hazel wanted to team up with him.  
She had continued looking at him in that odd way she had back at Camp Jupiter, and slowly it was unsettling.  
But he said, "Yeah, okay." and turned to Piper "Will you go to get the tree-sap then?"  
Piper nodded and so did Penelope, although the latter didn't look happy at all, but narrowed her eyes ever so slightly.  
What was up with her? Leo wondered.  
"How will we get to the island?" Piper asked, and Hazel answered "Frank, can you go drop off those two at the island first maybe?"  
Frank didn't look happy about being used as a taxi, but agreed nevertheless.  
"Great." Leo sighed, hoping they would all come back soon so they could be on their merry way.  
"See you all later then."

~Penelope's POV~

When Frank had dropped them off on the island, Penelope took a good look around.  
The place was covered in what looked like a forest, which seemed kind of out of place here.  
The tree, Coach Hedge had said, was a very rare specimen, and looked like an ordinary pine tree except that it's needles were gold around the edges.  
"Let's go shall we?" Piper asked, and Penelope nodded, taking out her stylet as a precaution.  
It seemed to good to be true that they would find everything they needed all in the same place.  
They started to make their way through the forest, dodging branches as good as they could but still ending up scratched to pieces.  
After walking in silence for the first few minutes, Penelope asked Piper:  
"Why do you think that Hazel girl wanted to go with Leo?"  
She tried to keep the resentment in her voice to a minimum, but of course Piper picked up on it instantly.  
"No idea, why?"  
"She looks at him funny" Penelope said, avoiding the question. She knew her cheeks had turned red, and she turned away, pretending to check the area for threats.  
"You like him, don't you?" Piper said slyly, a grin on her face.  
"What, no! I mean, yes, but no!" Penelope spluttered, cursing the fact that one of her best friends was a daughter of Aphrodite.  
She wasn't even sure how she felt about Leo, and she didn't want any rumours to start circulating.  
"Don't worry" Piper nudged her. "I won't tell anyone."  
Penelope knew she could trust Piper, and talking to someone about it did feel kinda nice.  
"Okay. So I like him, a little. Just a tiny little bit though."  
Why did her face have to go so red, now?  
Piper laughed "Yeah right, just a tiny little bit. You keep telling yourself that, Pen."  
"Hey-" Penelope was about to protest, when they both stopped in their tracks.  
Before them, standing in the middle of a clearing, was a huge Pine tree.  
It wasn't an ordinary Pine tree though.  
It's branches shone in a soft golden light, emanating from it's needles, which were all tinged in gold.  
"Reckon we found it?" Piper asked Penelope, who chuckled. "Yep, I think so"  
Looking around cautiously, they approached the tree and got out the odd metallic thing Leo had quickly built so they could get the sap out of the tree.  
While Piper fixed the device onto the bark, Penelope patrolled around the Goltpine.  
The Coach had warned them that Goltpine was a divine tree and that monsters were likely to be attracted to it.  
So far, Penelope couldn't see any though.  
"Is it working?" she asked Piper, anxious to get off the island, which was starting to give her the creeps. The woods were full of noise, ordinary wood noise, but still it sounded like ten monsters to Penelope.  
"Yeah, but the sap is like super thick, so it'll take a while."  
Penelope nodded, and sat down next to Piper.  
"If you think about it, taking sap from a tree is like taking blood from a person." Piper mused, while they were waiting for the file on the end of their device to fill.  
Penelope giggled "It's like we're tree vampires."  
This made Piper laugh as well, and for a few minutes they continued to crack up at the thought, even though it wasn't really that funny. Pen guessed they simply needed to ease some of the tension from the past hours.  
Suddenly, she heard a noise, right above them.  
"Psst!" she hissed at Piper, who stopped laughing immediately.  
"What?" she asked, whispering.  
"Did you hear that?"  
"Hear what?" Piper looked around.  
For a moment, everything was silent.  
And then, from the branches above them fell an enormous snake with a loud _hiss_.  
It writhed for a second and then looked at them, its eyes glinting menacingly.  
The terrible thing was, it had four of them, a pair on each head that was protruding from either end of it's long, thick body.  
Both of them scrambled backwards, forgetting that stealth might be the better option now.  
But the snake was simply too terrifying for them to hold still.  
"Piper, get the file!" Penelope yelled, holding up her stylet.

The monster hissed, and the combined sound from both its heads made Penelope shiver all over.  
It snapped at Piper as the girl got up to fetch the file, but Penelope stabbed at it, managing to leave a deep cut in its side.  
This however only seemed to make the snake madder, as it now turned on Penelope, who ran away from the tree, trying to give Piper some room.  
Luckily, her plan worked and the snake followed her to the edge of the clearing.  
Unluckily, it swiped one of it heads at her, knocking her off her feet and making her fall hard on the ground.  
"Piper, hurry up!" Penelope yelled, trying to get back up, but the snake kept snapping at her so she had to scramble out of the way instead.  
"It's stuck!" Piper shouted back, desperation in her voice.  
Penelope looked over at the tree to see Piper yanking at the device, which only slowly came out of the bark.  
The brief moment of inattentiveness cost Penelope dearly, as the snake suddenly threw itself onto her, pining her to the ground with its huge, scaly green body.  
One of its heads was right in front of Penelope's face, while the other bit into her thigh, making her cry out in pain, as she tried to shove the snake off.  
But it was no use. The monster was simply too heavy.  
And now, it brought its head up, readying for the grand finale, about to bite her head off.  
Penelope knew she had no way of getting out of this, and closed her eyes so she didn't have to watch the snake's teeth as they glinted above her.  
There was a loud hiss, and she flinched, positive that she was about to feel the horrible mouth on her face, when quite suddenly the weight lifted off her.  
"Penelope!" Piper yelled, and Pen opened her eyes to see her friend standing above her, holding a monster blood drenched dagger in one hand.  
"Piper" Penelope sighed in relief, and tried to sit up. But the world was suddenly lopsided, and the moment she was upright, she tripped, unable to keep her balance.  
"Pen, what- your leg!" she could hear Piper cry, and dimly she looked down at her leg, only to see a huge part of her jeans ripped away, and a scary looking snake bite on her thigh.  
Everything was spinning, she couldn't focus anymore, and a strange ringing filled her ears.  
"Piper?" she mumbled, almost unable to form the words "I don't feel so good."  
For a second she could make out her friend's horrified face.  
Then, she crumpled to the ground and everything went black.


	22. Chapter 22: Unknown Admiration

**Whoo! Chapter twenty-two!  
That rhymed.  
Okay, so this was fun to write, hope you guys enjoy it!  
(Any misspelling is probably there on purpose ;) )  
Disclaimer = as always**

Chapter twenty-two: Unknown Admiration  
~Leo's POV~

When Hazel and he arrived back on the Argo II after their encounter with Narcissus and Echo, Leo couldn't wait to get away from those crazed nymphs.  
But Piper and Penelope weren't back yet, so he had to stand on deck nervously, scanning the skies for Frank, who had gone to pick the girls up, while Percy tried to calm down the lake, which seemed intent on sinking their ship.  
"Can't he hurry up" Leo mumbled, when just at that precise moment, he saw a huge eagle flying towards them.  
"There he is!" Leo cried, and started to raise the ship, using the emergence flight modus he'd managed to repair right after they'd returned. It wouldn't last long though, so they would need to land again soon for him to make some permanent repairs.  
As the ship lifted upwards, Frank got closer, and Leo could see the girls on his back.

Something was wrong though.  
Piper was sitting upright, her face white and scared, clinging onto a motionless form.  
Penelope.  
Without thinking, Leo let go of the controls and raced over to where the eagle had just landed and Piper was getting off, carrying Penelope in her arms.  
"Piper!" Leo yelled "What happened?"  
The daughter of Aphrodite was out of breath, as if she'd just run a very long distance.  
"Forest. Tree. Snake." she panted, and Leo noticed both of the girls had a lot of scratches on their arms and face.  
"What?! What Snake?" Leo asked, his heart beating fast with fear as he looked at Penelope, who was ghostly white and still unmoving.  
"Come on, I'll take her" he told Piper, who carefully handed the girl over, and then slid down against a mast, looking exhausted.  
"We have to get her to Coach Hedge" Frank said from behind Leo, having turned back into himself.

But Leo had already started to hurry down the stairs into the ships hull, shouting for the satyr.  
He found him in the sickbay, tending to Jason who was still out cold, but looked a lot better.  
When Leo entered with Penelope, Coach Hedge jumped up, and directed Leo to a bed, removing the sheets first.  
Carefully, Leo lay Pen on it, his stomach twisting as he noticed how her head flopped lifelessly to the side.  
"She isn't...she's not..dead?" he whispered, as Coach checked for a pulse.  
"No, there's a heartbeat. It's pretty faint though. What happened?!" the satyr demanded, just as Piper came in accompanied by a harassed looking Annabeth.  
"We found the tree, just like you said." Piper sounded very afraid "But when we were getting the sap, this huge snake attacked us. It was horrible, it had a head on each of its ends. And while I was trying to get the file, Pen engaged it so it wouldn't bite me. But then it bit her instead and then I killed it, but she blacked out and..."  
Piper's voice caught a little and Annabeth gripped her arm.  
"I need my kit" Coach Hedge told them, and Annabeth ran out to fetch it.  
Leo looked at Penelope, searching for the bite. He didn't have to look for long.  
There, on her right thigh, was a horrible wound, two huge punctuations, like vampire bites, but they were ink black. Black tendrils were spreading slowly from the wound, carrying the poison through Penelope's leg.  
It was a disgusting sight, and Leo felt sick to the bone.  
Just then, Annabeth arrived back with the medic-kit, with Percy was right behind her.  
"We set the boat on autopilot" Annabeth told Leo, who only managed a faint nod, his eyes still fixed on Penelope.  
If she didn't make it...Leo didn't even want to think about that.  
"All right, everybody out!" Coach Hedge ordered, motioning for them to leave. "I need space to work."  
They all obeyed, although Piper had to half drag Leo out of the room.  
He didn't want to leave her alone. This was all his fault.  
"Leo" Piper said, making him look at her. "She'll be okay. Coach Hedge will help her."  
It didn't help that Piper's own face was still scared and bloody, but Leo nodded.  
"Yeah, she'll be okay." Maybe if he repeated this to himself long enough, it would come true.  
"You need to land us somewhere safe" Piper told him, and again he nodded.  
"Where?"  
"Kansas."  
Half an hour later, they set down near Kansas, where Piper said they would meet some guy called Bacchus. Apparently he'd have something to help them, so her, Percy and the newly (with the help of the tree sap) awoken Jason had gone off to meet him.  
In the mean time, Frank and Hazel went to search for any Roman pursuers and him and Annabeth were repairing everything that had gotten broken in New Rome.  
It felt good to do something constructive, and while he worked on his ship, Leo's nerves calmed down again, as he tried to sort out his jumble of thoughts.  
They had only been on their journey for a day, and already they had had two serious injuries, one half destroyed city, a legion of new enemies, broken ship parts, and a dark prediction from Nemesis, saying Hazel's brother would soon be dead.  
And they hadn't even gotten to the dangerous part of their quest yet...  
Sometimes Leo seriously questioned why he put up with all of this.  
And then there was the awkward situation between himself and Hazel, too.  
She had told him on their trip to the island that he looked like a boy, Sammy, she used to know back when she'd been alive the first time. From the way she'd said it, Leo got the feeling that this hadn't been just any boy.

But Hazel was Frank's girlfriend, and Leo didn't want to get messed up in any relationship drama.  
And then of course there were his feelings for Penelope, which were growing stronger...  
It was all terribly confusing and frightening and so he relished in working with machines for a bit.  
At least they wouldn't go all upset on him.  
"Hey, you two!" Coach Hedge suddenly stuck his head into the door of the engine room, where Leo and Annabeth were just finishing their work.  
"What?"  
"Penelope's awake." The satyr's voice sounded odd, which made Leo uneasy.  
He got up, and followed their guardian to sickbay, where Coach Hedge stopped him just in front of the door.  
"I have to warn you, Valdez, the remedy I gave her worked, but it causes strong hallucinations. She  
might not be all that right up here at the mo'" the satyr tapped his head to show Leo what he meant, and then turned to go watch TV.  
Wondering what to expect, Leo entered the room and felt instantly relieved when he saw Penelope's

eyes were open, looking at him.  
But there was something weird about them. They weren't as bright as they usually were,  
but glazed and drowsy looking.  
It reminded Leo of the look he'd seen on peoples' faces who been given sedatives.  
When she spotted him, she smiled dazedly.  
"Hello Annabeth" her voice was slurred and Leo turned around to check if Annabeth was standing behind him.  
But no, there was only him. Who did Pen mean then?  
"Annabeth, wha're you lookin' at?" Penelope asked, in that same slurred voice, and it dawned on Leo that Pen though he was Annabeth.  
Well, this could be interesting.  
"Er, nothing." he said, deciding to play along.  
"Good." Pen smiled dreamily. "Look a' the preddy lighs"  
She tried to lift her hand to point at the torch on the wall, but apparently it was too much effort, as her hand dropped back down onto the pillow half way up.  
This made her giggle, in a very un-Penelope-ish way.  
Just then, the real Annabeth entered, taking the seat next to Leo who had drawn up to chairs next to Penelope's bed.  
"How're you doing?" Annabeth asked Pen, concern in her voice.  
Leo was just about to tell Annabeth how the girl had been behaving, when she saved him the explanation by saying "Oh, hiii, Chleo.", smiling at Annabeth.  
"Er, what?" the blonde girl asked, raising her eyebrows at Leo, who just shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or be worried.  
Seeing Penelope act like this was an absolute one-off, and it would have been extremely funny,

if a poisonous snake-bite hadn't caused it.  
"Chleo, can _you_ see the preddy lighs?" Penelope asked Annabeth, trying and failing again to point.  
"Er..Yeah, they're really nice." Annabeth played along, looking just as helpless as Leo felt.  
Just then they heard the sounds of Frank and Hazel landing on board, and Annabeth got up, relieved to have something to do.  
"Will you look after her?" she asked Leo "Then I'll go check on Frank and Hazel"  
"Sure" Leo said, and with that he and Penelope were alone.  
Penelope was humming a little tune, and Leo could feel himself getting drowsy just by listening.  
But then Pen seemed to notice Annabeth was gone, and she asked Leo with her face dreamily troubled  
"Where's Chleo gone?"  
"Oh, er, she had to do, stuff." Leo said, and Pen nodded as if this was obvious.  
"She's always doin' stuff, Chleo is. All the time. Cause she's impordand."  
"Er, yeah" Leo agreed.  
The lapsed back into silence for a few minutes, and Leo thought Penelope must be getting tired, as her eyes kept drooping.  
Please go to sleep, he thought. Go to sleep and wake up normal.  
But Pen wasn't quite finished yet.  
She giggled again, too high, and then slurred  
"You know wha' else's preddy 'xcept the lighs?"  
Cautiously, Leo shook his head, trying hard not to simply shake Penelope until she was normal again.  
"Leo" Penelope said, and he almost said what until he realised what exactly Pen meant.  
Now he was listening.  
"He's really hansome. An' nice. He saved my life, you know?"  
For a moment Pen simply nodded, and smiled dreamily.  
"And funny, too." she added, making Leo's face go even redder. Was he really hearing this?  
"I'm glad he's my frien'. D'you think he likes me, too?" Pen asked, and the worry line Leo thought was so cute appeared on her forehead.  
At first Leo didn't know what to say, but then he thought, what the hades and told Pen the truth.  
"Yeah, he likes you. He things you're amazing."  
She probably wouldn't remember this anyway. He hoped.  
His answer made Penelope grin happily.  
"Tha's nice." she mumbled "I like him so much."  
Suddenly, she grabbed Leo's hand and looked at him urgently.  
"You won' tell him though, will you, Annabeth?"  
Her face was so sincerely worried, that Leo couldn't help but chuckle a little.  
Then he caught himself and said, "Don't worry, I won't tell him."  
"Good" Penelope smiled, sinking back into the pillows, her eyes closing as she drifted off to sleep.  
"Good..."


	23. Chapter 23: A Talk in the Morning

**House of Hades is out and I haven't got it yet!  
ARGH!  
Wrote this to keep me, and maybe the others who haven't got it yet, going ;)  
Enjoy,  
I no own! **

Chapter twenty-three: A talk in the morning

~Penelope's POV~

When Penelope woke up, she felt like someone had filled the inside of her head with cotton wool.  
For a moment she stayed with her eyes closed, not wanting to face the day yet.  
The events of yesterday were still etched in her mind: The snake, Piper killing it, her collapsing after.  
But where was she now? Underneath her, she could feel a mattress and there was a soft swaying motion, so she guessed she must be back on the Argo II.  
How had she gotten there though?  
Groaning, she tried to think past the cotton inside her head, but there was nothing. It was exactly like she'd felt when she'd awoken in the Big House at Camp Half-Blood, and it was not a feeling she liked.  
Slowly, she pried her eyes open and looked around.  
From what she could tell, she was in the sickbay, and Coach Hedge was snoring in an armchair on the other side of the room.  
The light was dimmed, so she guessed it was either in the middle of the night, or early morning.  
Then she realised there was a clock on the stand next to the bed, which read six thirty.  
Early morning then.  
Carefully, Penelope tried to get out of bed, as she really needed some fresh air to help get rid of the blocked feeling inside her head.  
But when she tried to get up, a dull pain shot up from her thigh and she winced, making Coach Hedge grunt in his sleep.  
Looking down at her leg, she saw a thick bandage, which was stained dark grey over the place where her wound must be.  
It didn't hurt an awful lot but still enough to make her doubt that she would be able to put her weight on it.  
Dejectedly, she lay back in bed, wishing that her life wasn't what it was.  
Not to get her wrong, she loved her friends and Camp Half-Blood, she only wished none of them had been picked for this stupid quest, or even better that Gaia had never started to stir.  
Then they would all be safely at Camp, and maybe they could have found a different way to reconcile the two camps.  
But then again, would she have ever arrived at Long Island if it hadn't been for her role in this quest?  
Somehow, something deep inside her told her no, she wouldn't have.  
And that was what kept her going, because she wouldn't change anything about her life if it meant Penelope wouldn't have met the people who were now already so dear to her.  
Just then, she heard a creek from the door and looked over to see Percy standing there.  
He smiled when he saw she was awake, and quietly came over to her.  
"Hello" she whispered, wondering why he of all people was paying her a visit at this hour.  
"Hi." Percy whispered back "I couldn't sleep, and I dunno, I guessed you need some fresh air.  
I know I would."  
It was a very nice thing to do, and Penelope was glad for the help.  
She smiled, and with Percy's aid, managed to get out of bed and slowly up the stairs, until they were  
standing on deck.  
The brisk wind blew through Penelope's hair, and instantly she felt better.  
"Come over here" Percy said, motioning to a few barrels which were filled with Zeus knows what.  
They sat down behind them, so they were shielded from the worst of the wind, but still felt a little breeze.  
The sky around them was already relatively light, and in the distance, they could see the sun rising.  
"Apollo" Percy grinned, pointing at the ball of light.  
Penelope nodded, she knew of the sun god.  
"Have you ever met him?" she asked Percy, who said "Yeah, he's cool, I guess. Compared to some of the others at least."  
Although Penelope had heard quite a few things about Percy's past adventures, she was keen to learn more.  
"How many of the gods have you met?" she asked, eagerly.  
"Oh, jeez, quite a few. Let's see, there's my dad, Poseidon, Annabeth's mum, though she doesn't like me very much" with a grimace Percy told her of the occasions he'd met Athena, and Penelope winced sympathetically.  
They continued talking until the soon had fully risen, Percy telling her all about his encounters with the various gods, and his past quests.  
It was easy to talk to him, and Penelope imagined this must be what it felt like to have a brother.  
It was much better than talking to Callister back at Camp Half-Blood, because if she was honest, that guy simply freaked her out. But Percy was easy going, and he had a nice smile.  
Around him, Pen felt oddly at peace, and whole, as if her life made sense, though not in a romantic way at all. Why exactly she felt like this she couldn't say, and she felt too shy to tell Percy.  
Instead, she asked him if he'd ever met her mother.  
"Hecate? Nah, not yet. I've met one of your sisters, though. Circe."  
"When you were stranded in the sea of monsters." Penelope grinned "And got turned into a guinea pig."  
Percy blushed, and Penelope laughed at the image of the son of Poseidon in a cage, eating straw.  
"So, what Hecate powers have you got then?" Percy asked her when she'd stopped laughing.  
"Well, concealment was one of the first things I learnt, though I can only do it in the dark. Chleo said the more powerful you get, the easier it is, but during the day it's always a challenge."  
she thought for a moment. "And some forms of healing, though they're really rudimentary, mostly just mixing some herbs, nothing like the Apollo kids."  
Percy continued to listen, as if he knew there was more.  
Penelope coughed. "And, there was this one occasion when we ran into Mormo- "  
"Wait" Percy said "Your ran into what?"  
"Mormo. Long story, but basically Piper, Annabeth and I met one of my mum's companions and it tried to kill us. But when it threw purple flames at me, I just, I don't know, caught them and threw them back, making it go away. I haven't really tried summoning them since, only once and it didn't work, so I wouldn't really call it a _power_."  
Percy looked at her, impressed. "Sounds like a pretty awesome power to me."  
Penelope blushed. After all, Percy was probably the most powerful demigod ever, and here he  
was saying _she _had cool powers.  
Then, a frown appeared on the dark haired boy's face.  
"What?" Pen asked and Percy answered  
"Annabeth told me you can probably breathe underwater."  
Penelope didn't answer, unsure what to say. It was true that Ryan had told her she hadn't had any water in her lungs after coming out of the ocean, but she hadn't tried breathing underwater since.  
She hadn't even been swimming, avoiding to go into the water when she was at the lake with Leo.  
It was true what she'd told Leo about not being afraid of the ocean, but the thought of actually going for a swim did make her a little nervous. Anyway, her theory was that it was merely Hera who had kept her from drowning.  
Without really meaning to, she found herself explaining all this to Percy, who nodded, as if he understood.  
"You know" he said slowly "when I was in Alaska, I fell into a patch of muskeg, and since then I-"  
But he was interrupted by a shout of "There you are!".  
Piper, whose scratches had disappeared with a little ambrosia, was standing before them.  
"What are you doing here?"  
"Couldn't sleep, thought Penelope would like some air and now we're having a chat."  
Percy explained.  
"Oh, okay." Piper sat down beside them. "Breakfast will be ready soon. Have you told Pen yet what happened?"  
Penelope looked at Percy, who shook his head slightly uncomfortably.  
"Why, what did happen?" she asked and Piper told her all about Jason, Percy and her going to find Bacchus, and Percy and Jason's duel. She continued to tell her of the exorcism she'd succeeded in doing for the three boys, and Penelope's mouth fell open in horror.  
"So eidolons were what were possessing them? What possessed Leo when he fired on New Rome?"  
she asked, her eyes wide.  
"Yup. But don't worry, they're gone now, and they're not coming back." Piper said, the relief obvious in her voice.  
"Gods, poor Leo. Poor you, too" Penelope murmured, looking at both of them. "How long was I out for?" she asked, realising how much had happened since she'd blacked out.  
"Oh, about a day and a night." Piper told her, getting to her feet. "Right, come on you two. Breakfast!"  
And five minutes later, all of them were sitting in the mass hall, enjoying what felt like their first proper meal together. The others were all glad Pen was okay, even though out of the corner of her eye she saw Leo give her an odd look, as if he knew something she didn't.  
She decided to ask him about it later, as now all she wanted to do was eat.  
The food tasted amazing, and the atmosphere was lighter than it had ever been so far.  
Annabeth informed the others they were now heading to Atlanta, to look for some old god called Phorcys, and that they would be arriving soon.  
And although it looked like the next hurdle was already forming, Penelope was glad for the morning of peace, where she could simply enjoy the company of her friends, and feel like maybe she did belong here, after all.


	24. Chapter 24: Spoils of War

**Hello there  
I'm assuming most who are reading this haven't got House of Hades yet.  
Don't worry, we'll get through the wait!  
Next chapter will be quite exciting, enjoy this one!  
If I were Rick Riordan, I wouldn't not have read House of Hades yet, would I? **

Chapter twenty-four: Spoils of war

After breakfast, Penelope went to her room for a while, as Coach Hedge had ordered her to rest her leg for a bit. They'd changed the bandages, and the bite looked a lot better than yesterday from what the satyr said, though it still hurt to put her full weight on it.  
So Pen was just lying on her bed, reading a book Annabeth had borrowed her on Ancient Greek myths, which was actually quite interesting.  
She had just finished reading about Heracles and the Hydra, when there was a soft knock on the door and Piper stuck her head in, asking "Can I come in?"  
"Sure" Penelope smiled, and made some room for her on the bed. Piper sat down and then held something out to her which at first looked like an old rag.  
"What's that?" Penelope asked, taking it reluctantly.  
"Your first spoil of war." Piper grinned "The snake's skin. No idea what it does though."  
Penelope looked closer and realised that the piece of skin was anything but a rag. It was dark green and scaly, with intricate golden designs she hadn't noticed before. It was actually kind of beautiful.  
"Good thing I do" she told Piper, and leafed back a few pages in the book she was just reading until she found the correct page.  
"Amphisbaena. A two headed snake which usually lives in the desert and eats dead bodies. It sprang to life from the blood dripping from Medusa's head as Perseus flew over the desert with it – yuck- and has a poisonous bite.  
It is said that expecting women wearing a live Amphisbaena around their necks would have safe pregnancies; however, if one's goal is to cure ailments such as arthritis or the common cold, one should wear only its skin.  
By eating the meat of the Amphisbaena, one could attract many lovers of the opposite sex, and slaying one during the full moon could give power to one who is pure of heart and mind. Lumberjacks suffering from cold weather on the job could nail its carcass or skin to a tree to keep warm, while in the process allowing the tree to be felled more easily."  
Piper giggled "So you can either cure the flu or chose to become a lumberjack. Sounds good."  
Penelope snickered as well, but then furrowed her brow "But it's not mine, Pipes, it's yours, you killed it."  
But her friend shook her head. "I couldn't have killed it if you hadn't distracted it. You earned it."  
Her tone was so resolute that Penelope didn't argue but hugged her friend instead.  
"Thanks" she smiled, a feeling of pride springing to life inside her as she hung her first spoil of war over her bed.  
They sat for a bit and talked, about Phorcys and the next few days, but also about normal things, like the people back home and boys.  
"What were you and Percy doing up there on your own at that hour?" Piper suddenly said, her voice curious and a bit suspicious.  
"We were talking" Pen answered, and when Piper didn't say anything she said, forcefully "Really Piper, we were just talking! I would never do anything like that, you know I wouldn't!"  
Piper's expression softened. "I know, I know. Sorry, I didn't really believe you had a crush on him."  
"No, I don't" Pen said, but then thought of the weird completed feeling she had around him. Should she tell Piper? After all, she was head counsellor of the Aphrodite cabin, and even though Pen's feelings weren't romantic, she must know general stuff about feelings as well.  
"Piper, if I tell you something, will you promise not to tell anyone else?" her voice was low and intent, and Piper looked at her with a questioning eye.  
"Okay" she said, slowly and Penelope started to speak, her voice still extremely low  
"Well, even though I _swear _there is nothing remotely romantic between us, I feel different around Percy. " she hesitated, thinking how to phrase this. There was a tiny creak outside the door, but nobody entered so she continued  
"It's like, like I'm _whole_ all of a sudden. Like I'm where I'm supposed to be."  
There was silence for a minute, while Piper was obviously thinking about what Penelope had told her. Then, she said:  
"I don't know why you feel like that, Pen. I'm sorry but I really don't. Unless maybe you're related to Percy somehow?"  
Penelope pondered that idea. She did feel a certain connection to Poseidon and Percy, but was this really because they were related? She didn't know.  
"Never mind, it doesn't matter" she muttered, regretting she'd brought it up.  
Piper seemed to understand, and changed topic, telling Penelope about some prank the Stolls had once pulled on Chiron. It was a funny story, and soon the tension had gone and the two girls were laughing heartily.

Half an hour later they were almost in Atlanta, and they met up again in the mess hall.  
"So, Frank, Coach Hedge and I will go looking for Phorcys" Percy told them, when Jason and Leo had sat down as well. "No idea where we'll find salt water here, but we'll try. You guys can stay here and guard the ship or something."  
Percy looked at Annabeth with a somewhat let down expression, which made the girl smile.  
"I told you, Seaweed Brain, I want to check out something on Daedalus' laptop."  
"Yeah, yeah I know." Percy grumbled, and Penelope's mind wandered while Frank, Coach Hedge and Percy discussed ways to find Phorcys, and possible means to get him to talk.  
As they were eating in the mess hall anyway, the others hung around, talking with each other or simply relaxing.  
Piper and Jason were sitting on the same chair, and Piper giggled as Jason tickled her.  
Annabeth came over and asked Penelope if she wanted a game of chess, as she was the only other person except her who understood it.  
Though Annabeth won almost every time, Pen still agreed to play, and soon she was losing spectacularly, almost half her pieces knocked out by Annabeth's bishop and queen.  
"Gods Annabeth, this is no fun! It's not fair, your mother's Athe-"  
but Penelope broke off, having spotted Leo talking to Hazel in the corner.  
He was laughing at something she'd just said, and she smacked his arm companionably.  
Ever since they'd gone on that search for the lime and celestial bronze together, they seemed much closer, and for some reason this annoyed Penelope very much.  
She narrowed her eyes at the pair, wishing for something to interrupt them, for Leo to stop smiling at Hazel like that.  
"Er, Pen? You okay?" Annabeth's voice brought her out of her reverie.  
"What? Oh yes, fine, sorry." Quickly, she returned to the game, but not before Annabeth could check out what she'd been staring at.  
The daughter of Athena shot her a look, which clearly said _I know it all _and inwardly Penelope cursed the fact that her friend was so quick on the uptake.  
It was silly of her to think like that about Leo and Hazel at all, she tried to tell herself.  
After all, Frank was Hazel's boyfriend and Leo – and Leo what?  
What was it with him? Penelope thought miserably.  
Sometimes it felt like he really liked her, for example when she caught him looking at her when he wasn't expecting it, or all those times they'd gone for a walk or down to the lake together back at camp.  
He was her best friend, and now, ever since that snake had bitten her, there was some barrier between them. They hadn't even spoken since.  
She sighed while she tried to evade Annabeth's check-mate. Of course she had no such luck, and soon their game was over, with Annabeth still having all but two of her pieces and Penelope none but three.  
"Rematch?" Annabeth asked with a glint in her eyes. In moments like these, even if it was only a small game of chess, it was more obvious than ever that Annabeth was truly her mother's daughter.  
"No, maybe later" Penelope said, suddenly not in the mood to do anything at all anymore.  
Annabeth's face fell disappointedly, but she seemed to get what was bothering her friend.  
"Look" she whispered, leaning across the table "when we arrive in Atlanta, talk to him. There might be something he wants to tell you"  
"What do you mean?" Penelope asked her, wondering what Annabeth knew that she didn't.  
"Well, when you and Piper came back here after the snake attack, you came round for a while after Coach Hedge gave you the antidote."  
This surprised Penelope "I did? But I can't remember!"  
Annabeth was obviously trying hard not to grin "Yeah, well, you weren't exactly yourself."  
"What do you mean?" Penelope had a bad feeling about this. What had she done?  
"Ask Leo. He'll tell you." said Annabeth, getting up and laying the table.  
While all of them were having lunch, Penelope kept shooting glances at Leo, and unless she was imagining things, his eyes darted away from hers every time they were about to meet. 


	25. Chapter 25: Atlanta Abduction

"**Penelope had a crush on Percy Jackson, the son of the sea god, and Leo Valdez was just a friend to her"  
Just a little sneak peek on what's facing you in this chapter ;)  
Hope you enjoy!  
(Do I really have to say the Disclaimer every time?) **

Chapter twenty-five: Atlanta Abduction  
~Leo's POV~

They touched down in Atlanta just as the sun reached its highest point in the sky, signalising midday.  
Right after they landed on top of a hill surrounded by woods, Percy, Coach Hedge and Frank set out to find Phorcys, the old sea god.  
Leo was not in a good mood, and it had nothing to do with missing the fun of a mission.  
Earlier, when he was just about to check in on Penelope to see how she was doing, he stopped behind the door, which stood ajar.  
From the sounds of it, Piper had been inside with her, and Penelope was in the middle of saying something that made Leo stop with his hand outstretched in mid air.  
"_...I feel different around Percy. " _here the floorboard underneath Leo had creaked, at the worst possible moment and Penelope had stopped talking. Then she'd continued, and Leo listened._  
"It's like, like I'm whole all of a sudden. Like I'm where I'm supposed to be."  
_That had been enough. Not waiting for Piper's response, he'd walked away, a horrible feeling of hurt inside him.  
Slamming the door to his room shut, he'd sat on the bed starring moodily at the wall, cursing every god he knew for making his life so horrible and confusing.  
Thoughts had slunk into his mind, thoughts of doubt and hope, battling for room in the already crammed spaces of his brain.  
He couldn't believe what he'd heard Penelope say about Percy. The guy was Annabeth's boyfriend after all, and Annabeth was Penelope's friend. Never would it have crossed his mind that Pen might actually have feelings for the son of Poseidon. And by the sounds of it, those feelings were not of the weak kind either.  
_I feel different around Percy.. _And what did she feel around Leo? Normal? Bored?  
_It's like I'm whole, like I'm where I'm supposed to be_...The worlds swirled around him, like neon signs saying _you are not enough for her_ and _why would she fancy you when there's the saviour of Olympus around?_  
Frustrated, Leo had punched his pillow, trying hard not to think of how inferior he was to Percy Jackson. Why was he getting so worked up about this at all? He tried to calm himself down, telling himself he was only angry because Penelope fancied Annabeth's boyfriend and he didn't want Annabeth to get hurt.  
But of course he knew this wasn't the truth.  
He was jealous, jealous as Hades and angry that Penelope didn't talk about him like that.  
And why? Because he cared about her, that's why. Because she was more to him than a friend, and that secretly he'd hoped she might think of him in the same way.  
But no, apparently there was no such luck planned for Leo Valdez.  
He'd continued fuming until the meeting, when he'd made a point of talking to Hazel, and _not _to Penelope, who had been playing chess with Annabeth .  
Yet Leo couldn't stop himself from glancing at the dark haired girl continuously during lunch, trying to catch her looking at Percy.  
Oddly, he didn't see her look in that direction once, instead her bright turquoise eyes flicked towards himself ever so often. Before their eyes could meet though, Leo rapidly looked away.  
What was it with her? Why was she looking at him now?  
After lunch Leo resumed his grumbling thoughts while steering.  
The wind eased some of his confusion, and Leo started to sort through what he knew, creating a nice list in his mind:  
Pro: Penelope had said she liked Leo and that he was nice and handsome. That was good right?  
Con.: She'd said this while made delirious by a combination of poisonous snake venom and its antidote.  
Pro.: They got along really well  
Con.: She got along really well with Percy, too  
Pro.: Pen had kept looking at him all through lunch  
Con.: She had told Piper that she felt whole around Percy, like she belonged. Definitely not so good.  
So his list didn't really offer a solution, but Leo's mind was made up anyway.  
Penelope had a crush on Percy Jackson, the son of the sea god, and Leo Valdez was just a friend to her. Great. Just great.  
He landed the ship a little harder than might have been necessary, and immediately went back to his room, hoping the others would leave him alone.  
But alas, no such luck. Ten minutes after touch down, there was a soft knock on the door.  
"What" he said moodily, making a little fan out of some scraps of metal and wires.  
The door opened a fraction and a face framed in soft, wavy dark brown hair peeped in.  
"Can I come in?" Penelope asked, and Leo heard a slight tremor in her voice.  
He didn't really feel like talking, but he found himself saying "Yes" anyway.  
Slowly, she came in, and Leo saw she was dressed in black leggings and a long dark blue top, which made her skin look a little tan. She looked great, but this only made Leo moodier.  
"You okay?" she asked, as she limped over to his bed and sat down.  
A pang of guilt shot through Leo as he realised he hadn't even asked her yet how her leg was doing.  
He'd been so riddled with jealousy that he'd forgotten to be a friend. Still, his voice was a little sharper than it might usually be.  
"I'm fine. How's your leg?"  
"Oh, it's okay. Barely hurts at all anymore."  
"Good."  
There was silence, and Leo couldn't help but wonder when this awkwardness between them had appeared. Usually, they were easy going with each other, and playful.  
Penelope must have noticed the difference, too, because her face was set in a little frown.  
Leo knew she was quite good at hiding her emotions, not as good as her siblings maybe, but still better than most. Maybe their disguising abilities didn't stop at concealing their bodies.  
"I was wondering" Penelope started to say "do you fancy a walk? We've got nothing to do, and I haven't been on land since, well..." she trailed off, obviously recalling the snake attack.  
He was about to say no, when Penelope looked at him directly, those brilliant eyes looking like they could peer right into his heart. He couldn't say no to her.  
"Okay" he sighed, and together they got of the Argo II, telling the others they'd be back in half an hour.  
As they walked a bit into the forest, Leo noticed the strain in Pen's face every time she put her weight on her injured leg.  
"Come here" he said, offering his arm for her to lean on.  
Gratefully, she took it, and they continued like this for a while, not talking.  
Finally, when they'd gone much further into the forest than was probably wise, Penelope stopped, and sat down on a tree trunk. Leo sat down next to her.  
"Are you angry with me?" she asked him, not meeting his eyes.  
"No." he replied, though his tone sounded terse.  
"Yes you are. Why won't you tell me?" Penelope's voice was pained.  
"I'm not angry at you." Leo told her again, untruthfully. The fact was, that he was angry at her, for liking Percy better than him. It was unfair, he knew, but well, he was only human. Or half human at least.  
"Leo, Annabeth told me." Penelope said, taking him by surprise.  
What had Annabeth told her? That Leo liked her? He wouldn't put it past Annabeth to have noticed, she noticed everything.  
When he didn't speak, Penelope sighed.  
"Listen, whatever I said when I was under the influence of that stuff, I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."  
Her voice was so earnest, so pleading that it almost stopped Leo from feeling hurt.  
Almost.  
There it was, Penelope had said it herself. Whatever she'd told him about liking him, it had only been the substances speaking.  
"Fine." he said, getting up.  
"Where're you going?" Penelope asked, her face confused.  
"Back to the Argo" Leo had already started to walk off, anger coursing through him.  
"Wait, Leo! Won't you tell me what's wrong? Can't you at least tell me what I said?" Penelope cried after him, obviously trying to catch up, but held back by her injured leg.  
"It doesn't matter!" Leo yelled back, not looking around. "You didn't mean it anyway!"  
"Leo I- " but her next sentence broke off by a scream.  
Whirling around, Leo saw two demons, nasty scaly creatures, grabbing Penelope by the arms, laughing hatefully. His heart missed a beat.  
"Pen!" Leo shouted and ran back, but the distance between them was too big. Before he could do anything to stop them, the demons had taken Penelope's knife and bound her hands, taking out a big sack made of some dark material.  
For a second before they pulled it over her head, Penelope's eyes met Leo's and he could see the terror in them.  
"Leo, watch out!" she called, but then one of the demons pulled the bag over her face and down to her feet, while the other punched the place where her face must have been.  
The bundle inside the sack went limp, and the demons threw it over its shoulder and started to sprint away.  
"NO!" Leo yelled, running after them, but before he'd gone more than a few feet, something pounced on his back, knocking him to the ground. He had barely time to think _what have I done_ before his head hit a stone, and he blacked out. 


	26. Chapter 26: Trapped

**Update!  
Got some stuff in here I think you might like...  
But you'll have to read on to find out!  
Enjoy and tell me what you think ;)  
IDNOPJOOHOO (this is the disclaimer)**

Chapter twenty-six: Trapped

When Leo regained consciousness, he was in what felt like the back of a truck, judging by the rumbling underneath him. He couldn't see anything because of a blindfold covering his eyes, but at least he wasn't inside a bag. He wanted to shout, to find out where Penelope was, but the was a gag inside his mouth and his hands and legs were tied.  
Gods, how could he have gotten himself into this situation? If only he'd been paying attention as to how far from the ship they'd been walking, if only he hadn't gone off in a mood, abandoning Penelope, leaving her limping and defenceless behind him.  
He could only hope she was all right. Now he deeply regretted being angry at her for such a stupid reason.  
Guilt and shame took their turns in torturing him as the truck drove on, stopping what felt like hours later.  
Then Leo could hear the demons that had kidnapped them, laughing evily as they pulled him out of the truck. When one of them heaved Leo out, his blindfold slipped for a second and he could see the run-down street they were in and a neon sign telling him that _Atlanta washing_ was now open twenty-four hours seven.  
Then the blindfold was firmly pulled back over his eyes once more.  
The demon behind him set Leo on his feet after removing their bonds, and held him in a vice grip so he couldn't have moved his arms an inch if he'd tried.  
A cold blade pressed against Leo's neck and the demon's voice, which was raspy and cruel, hissed  
"Walk!"  
Leo didn't need telling twice. As long as he saw no way of getting out here, he wouldn't risk being killed. He wouldn't make it easy for Gaia, whom he assumed to be behind this.  
They entered a damp house, probably huge judging by the sounds of their echoing footsteps.  
Another while later, Leo was dumped on a hard stone floor and the blindfold and gag were finally ripped from his face.  
He blinked a few times, as his eyes adjusted to the gloom.  
Around him were stone walls, and only one tiny little window complete with iron bars, through which a dull light shone that was lost in the dusk of the room.  
He was sitting almost perfectly in the middle, and across from him he could see the only way out, a huge wooden door.  
In front of it, one of the demons was standing sharpening a wicked looking knife. His skin was scaly blue, and he growled at Leo, who tried hard to keep his face calm and impassive.  
Next to the demon, Leo saw a bucket, filled with some clear liquid.  
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the famous Leo Valdez." the demon sneered, his face full of malicious humour.  
Then, with a sudden movement that was too fast for Leo to follow, the creature pocketed the knife, lifted up the bucket and emptied the contents over Leo's head.  
The stuff was as clear and tasteless as water, but as thick as sunscreen. It settled on him like a second skin, making it harder for him to breathe.  
"There." the demon's eyes glinted "This will prevent you from using your special little talent. We wouldn't want you bursting into flames now, would we?"  
Leo felt suddenly cold. Did this liquid really stop him from using fire? He tried to ignite his hands, but instead of the familiar tickling sensation, he felt a sharp pain and he immediately stopped, unable to keep a gasp from escaping his lips.  
The monster cackled, its voice ringing horrible off the stone walls.  
"Do you believe me now, son of Hephaestus?"  
Leo didn't answer, he was too angry. So this git thought he could mess with him, did he?  
Well, Leo might not know how to yet, but he would make him pay.  
"So, Leo Valdez, I must thank you." A sneer spread again over the creature's face.  
"And why's that?" Leo asked, impressed at how even his voice sounded. He wouldn't let this thing get to him.  
"Well, if you hadn't been so kind as to separate from your friends and take the daughter of Pluto with you, it would have been much harder for us to take you. Gaia will be most pleased."  
These words took a while to register with Leo. Okay, so he had been right about Gaia, but why was the demon calling Pen a daughter of Pluto? Unless he was mistaking her with Hazel, for some reason. Leo didn't know why, but he decided to play along with it.  
"Yeah, Hazel and I just wanted to help you guys." he winked at the demon, who looked taken aback for a second, but then anger returned to his face.  
"You won't be laughing soon, son of Hephaestus. When our reinforcements join us in three hours, you will be taken straight to Greece, where we will sacrifice you to finally awaken the great earth goddess. And your little friend as well."  
Fear shot through Leo, but he knew he had to hide it.  
"Sure you will" he made his voice sound condescending, as if he was only humouring the monster.  
His attempt was to get it to tell him more, about where they had taken him and Penelope, and hopefully where the girl was.  
It seemed to be working. The demon's face turned an ugly purple, and its voice became nothing but a low hiss.  
"You may not fear for your life now, Leo Valdez. But when you and your friends meet Gaia and her forces, you will be trembling with horror. I have not brought you here to this place in this gods-forsaken city for you to make fun of us. I, Edcychtous, bearer of the black flag, will not have a petty demigod laughing at me!"  
He made a lunge at Leo, who barely managed to dodge it, though the demon's long fingernail left a cut in his left cheek.  
Just then, the door opened and another, deeper but almost twice as scary, voice said "What is this brother? We are commanded not to kill the demigods yet."  
Leo could see another demon, who had black scales instead of blue ones, standing in the doorway, and it wasn't its height or muscled that made shivers chase each other down Leo's back, no, it was the eyes. They were so dark, so downright evil, that for a second Leo lost all hope.  
Edcychtous seemed to be struggling with himself, unwilling to contradict his brother but also furious at Leo. In what was a wise choice in his opinion, the demon simply nodded, his eyes full of hatred as he looked down at Leo.  
"Bring him to the cages." Edcychtous' brother told him, and he bowed his head.  
"Yes, Rocychtous."  
Rocychtous or whatever his name was left, and his brother turned back to Leo, pulling him up.  
"Come, boy" he barked, as they started to march through a huge empty storage hall, where just about everything was covered in dust and cob-webs.  
"Nice place you've got here" Leo commented casually, nodding his head at some old boxes, and a crate of rotten fruit.  
"Do not taunt us, boy. We are the Eurynomos, demons of the underworld. We do not enjoy being taunted."  
Leo chuckled. "Demons of the underworld, are you? Well, you must feel right at home then."  
For a moment he feared that he'd gone too far as the demon's grip on him tighten to an almost unbearable point.  
But then they turned from the main hall into a smaller corridor, and seemed to have reached their destination, as they halted in front of another wooden door.  
The monster let go of Leo to unlock it, but Leo didn't even consider running for it, not as long as he didn't know where Penelope was.  
"Inside." Edcychtous ordered, and Leo stumbled in, taking in his new surroundings.  
It was a smaller room, made also of stone, with another tiny window letting in the evening light. Was it really getting dark already?  
But then Leo saw something that made his spirits lift. Two cages were standing in front of him, sharing a row of bars. And in the right hand one was a very familiar daughter of Hecate.  
"P- Hazel!" Leo said, almost slipping up.  
But Penelope had her eyes closed, and didn't stir.  
"Your friend has not moved since we found you." the demon sneered, opening the other side of the double-cage.  
What? Leo thought panicky, but before he could do anything, Edcychtous had shoved him inside the cage, retying the ropes around his feet.  
"Enjoy your stay" it sneered, before shutting and locking the cage and then doing the same with the wooden door, leaving the two of them quite alone.  
"Pen!" Leo hissed, turning as best as he could towards the girl.  
Her eyes were open and alert, and Leo realised she'd been faking unconsciousness all along.  
"Leo!" she whispered back, her face resting against the single row of bars that separated them.  
"Thank the gods you're okay. " Leo sighed, unable to meet her eyes for the guilt that was now filling him again.  
"Leo, I'm so sorry" Penelope's voice was cracked. "If I hadn't made you go for that walk with me"  
But Leo shook his head, finally meeting her eyes. They shone even in the darkness, like little turquoise flames.  
"No, Pen, it isn't your fault. It's mine. I left you there, I got all moody and walked off, I shouldn't have. I'm sorry." he told her, finding it hard not to look away again.  
"But I probably said something horrible to you!" Penelope said, her eyes pained.  
Leo almost smiled. "It wasn't horrible" he told her.  
"It wasn't? Then why-"  
"It doesn't matter. You said yourself, you didn't mean it." Now Leo could no longer hold her gaze and stared at the wall opposite them instead.  
"But if I don't even know what I said!" Pen insisted.  
"I told you, it doesn't matter." Leo said again, his voice more forceful.  
But Penelope wouldn't give in. "Tell me" she said, and now her voice,too, was more forceful.  
"No."  
"Yes."  
"No."  
"Yes!"  
"For Hephaestus sake, Penelope! It doesn't matter, because you fancy Percy! Now, let's talk about how we're going to get out of here." Leo snapped, feeling a stab of pain in his hands as the liquid prevented them from bursting into flames, like they usually did when he was agitated.  
"Why would you think I fancy Percy?" Penelope whispered, her voice soft now.  
"Because I heard you and Piper talking." He told her grudgingly, continuing to stare at the stone wall, unable to meet her eyes right now.  
And then there was a sound Leo hadn't expected at all.  
A little laugh, like wind chimes in a breeze.  
"But I don't fancy him." Penelope said. "You just heard the wrong part of the conversation."  
Hope peeped its head into Leo's mind. Could this be true?  
"Oh yeah?" he said defensively "And what was all that about feeling whole around him? You're telling me it isn't true?"  
Penelope hesitated. "It is true" _Bye hope_, Leo thought.  
"But it's more like I've been reunited with my family. It's not romantic, Leo."  
He couldn't believe her, he just couldn't, even if he so wanted to.  
Penelope seemed to know what his silence meant, because she added, speaking so quietly  
that he had to listen hard to hear her, "It would be impossible for me to like Percy."  
"And why's that?" Leo wanted to know.  
Silence.  
"Because I like you" 


	27. Chapter 27: Breaking through

**Hello, you lovely people who read this.  
It will be another six days before I get HoH, and I'm so mad at Amazon!  
But never mind...  
I don't know when I'll be updating this next, because I feel like it's going kind of badly.  
So, yeah...  
Hope you enjoy the chapter anyway.  
IDOA  
**  
Chapter twenty-seven: Breaking through

Leo, being the quick minded, witty demigod he was, immediately found the right response to this statement: "You what?"  
He looked at Penelope as if he'd never seen her before, as she blushed furiously and mumbled: "I like you", not meeting his eyes.  
Leo was so dumbfounded, he said the first thing that came into his mind right then, which was of course not what he was probably supposed to say:  
"They think you're a daughter of Pluto."  
Penelope stared at him, her eyes flashing "Excuse me?"  
"The demon things. They think you're Hazel." he explained.  
What he really wanted to say was something entirely different, but his mind had suddenly formed a plan.  
"You didn't get doused in some thick liquid, did you?" he asked Pen, who shook her head, her face completely void of emotions now.  
Leo suspected she was hurt, and he hated leaving her words hanging out there like that, but this couldn't wait.  
"Good. I need you to bend the bars."  
"What?!" Pen asked incredulously.  
"Bend the bars. Hold them and conjure up those purple flames you told me about. It's a Hecate power, they'd never expect it."  
Penelope looked at him. "I don't know if I can do it" she confessed.  
"Don't over-think it." Leo told her, making his voice sound steady and sure. "Grab the bars."  
Penelope did so.  
"Now think about all the energy inside you flowing into your hands." Leo went on  
"Let's it out, channel it. Feel the strength."  
He had no idea if this was how it would work for Pen, but he had to try anyway.  
For a few moments nothing happened, even though Penelope's face was set in high concentration.  
But then, her hands started to glow, a deep purple, tinged with dark blue. She pulled at the bars and they bent easily, creating a hole big enough for her to slip through.  
She did so, and then grasped hold of the bars in front of Leo, her hands still alight with the purple fire-light-energy, whatever it was. When she met Leo's eyes, he swore hers flashed purple, like that time at the camp fire all those weeks ago. But this time he was sure he hadn't imagined I.  
It was kinda intimidating, but Leo grinned madly anyway as he climbed through the gap that Penelope had just made. They stood before each other, listening.  
There were distant footsteps outside the door and Leo knew they didn't have long before the  
Eurynomos came back and took them to a new, stronger prison.  
It was already a miracle they had left them unguarded in this room. Perhaps they were a bit dim.  
Soon they would come to get them, however, first there was something he needed to do right now.  
"What do we do n-" Pen started to say, but never got to finish the sentence as Leo suddenly pulled her close and kissed her, right on the mouth.  
It lasted only a moment, but it was the best kiss Leo had ever had, her lips soft and warm under his.  
When they broke apart, Leo couldn't help but grin.  
Gods, how long he'd wanted to do that...  
But now they had to focus on getting out of here alive, and so he explained the rest of his plan to Penelope, who nodded in agreement, her cheeks a little pink.  
She moved to stand underneath the window, submerging into complete shadow, but not before the moonlight hadn't caught her hair, giving it an oddly purplish shine.  
Leo felt kind of disappointed that he hadn't been able to tell Penelope everything he wanted to say, but hopefully there would be time for that later.  
And maybe, just maybe, there would also be time for another kiss, only a proper one this time.


	28. Chapter 28: Flight and Fight

**Whoo, this was so much fun to write!  
Lots of action! ;)  
Enjoy, I still don't own anything**

Chapter twenty-eight: Flight and Fight

Carefully, Leo positioned himself so that he was right next to the door, but on the side of the hinges.  
This way, when someone opened it, he would be concealed long enough for Pen and him to act.  
He couldn't see Penelope anymore, as she'd done the weird concealing thing her and Chleo had used that night of capture the flag.  
His lips still tingled from the kiss, and it was hard to concentrate on what they had to do, even though he knew he must.  
Finally, Leo heard one of the demons arrive outside the door, but instead of opening it, it stayed outside. Obviously the transportation hadn't arrived yet.  
Leo cursed inwardly. They had been counting on the door being opened, as they couldn't manage it themselves in a short period of time.  
He was just about to motion to Penelope that they had do think of a new plan, when a ridiculous idea came to him.  
It was so far fetched, Leo almost discarded it, but somehow he had a notion it would work, if the demon outside was the right one.  
He decided to risk it.  
"Hey, Edcychtous!" he called loudly, and there was a ripple in the corner as Penelope started forward, he face shocked.  
Quickly, Leo motioned to her to stay where she was, and she nodded guardedly, disappearing again into the shadows.  
There was no answer from outside the door, but Leo thought he heard a little hiss of annoyance. "Edcychtous?" He called again "Are ya there? We're kinda bored in here!"  
This time, there was a definite hiss, but the demon seemed unwilling to talk to Leo.  
"Come on," Leo coaxed "These cages are getting old. Can't you open the door so we can at least have a little chat?"  
"Silence, demigod!" came a raspy cry from outside, and the anger made the voice even scarier. But Leo knew he couldn't stop now, so he spoke back loudly.  
"Don't be such a kill-joy Edcychtous! Man, that name is like a real mouthful. Edcychtous. Haven't you got a nickname?"  
"Demigod, if you know what is good for you, you will cease to talk now!" a shout came back, but still the door stayed closed. Leo would have to take it up a notch.  
"So that's a no, is it? That' okay, I'll give you one. Let's think.." he paused, making sure the demon was still listening "Oh, I've got it! Cychy!"  
A growl came from outside, muffled by the door but still distinctly audible.  
"No?" Leo asked "Shame, I like Cychy. But okay. How about...Ed! It's not very unusual, but I think it kinda suits you!"  
"Do not talk to me like that! Do you even realise who I am, son of Hephaestus?!" The demon's voice was now furious, and Leo knew it wouldn't take much anymore to make him open the door.  
"Yeah, sure I do, Ed. But ya know, Eddy, I don't think you're that great. I mean, you lock us up in here, and then stand guard _outside_ the door? What kind of demon does that? Are you, like, afraid of being in the same room as us? Afraid we'll hurt you?"  
That did it. Leo barely had time to register the click of the lock as Edcychtous unlocked the door, before it was flung open with a huge crack.  
It was a good thing the door was so big and heavy, making it stop swinging pretty quickly, otherwise Leo would be pancake.  
The demon sprang inside, its claws raised, a growl ripping from his throat.  
Yet when it saw the empty cages and the (supposedly) empty room, it hesitated, for only a second.  
That was enough for Leo.  
Like a canon ball, he launched himself onto the demon, knocking it clean over, and making it hit its head on the cage corner, hard.  
"Now!" Leo yelled, and Penelope was there in a flash, running out of the door, and Leo was right behind here.  
He knew the demon would only be stunned for a bit, and that the noise they'd made had probably alerted its brother, but he didn't care.  
With a huge tug, he closed the door and they were off, racing down the corridor so fast he almost went flying when they rounded the corner into the huge storage hall.  
"Where's the exit?" Penelope cried panicky.  
Leo looked around, his heart beating in his throat. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a light shine through a window. A neon light.  
"This way!" he tugged Pen along, praying he was right, and that it was indeed the neon sign he'd seen earlier shining in through that window.  
There was no time to rethink though, and so they ran flat out to the end of the storage hall.  
The room was so huge, and full of odd obstacles like boxes and crates and shelves, that it took them longer than Leo had anticipated.  
Before they knew it, Ed's brother, the black demon, was baring down upon them.  
Where had he come from?  
It didn't matter though, all that mattered was that he was now towering in front of them, blocking their way.  
"Demigods!" he rumbled in his deep, bone chilling voice. He was holding a long, wickedly thick sword, but before he could use it, a flash of light hit him square in the chest.  
Penelope's tiny ball of flames didn't really do much, except make him stumble, but it was just enough to let them slip past him without getting skewered.  
In the distance, Leo could see the door, and he ran if possible even faster.  
Please don't let that be locked as well, he prayed.  
"WITCH SPAWN!" the black demon cried behind them, as he took up the pursuit.  
"IMPOSSIBLE!"  
Leo saw Penelope's face contort in what he thought was anger, but he couldn't be sure because he'd never seen that emotion on her face before. Annoyance, maybe, but never anger.  
To his horror, she stopped running and whipped around, facing the oncoming monster.  
"Pen! What are you doing?!" Leo cried, skidding to a halt himself.  
But Penelope wasn't listening, she'd raised her hands and was holding them out in front of her, her turquoise eyes transformed into dark purple pools of power.  
Energy seemed to radiate off her, and not only her hands burst into flames, but her whole arms, the purple-blue light illuminating her features in an eerie, scary way.  
She looked terrifying and Leo could feel every inch of him wanting to back up out of pure survival instinct. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who felt this way, as the demon tried desperately to slow down, yet unsuccessfully.  
Its weight propelled its body forward, and instead of leaping out of the way, Penelope sprang at it, sailing towards its scaly head. They crashed into each other with a loud smack, and Leo could barely make out Penelope shoving her flaming arms into the demon's face, before the whole thing exploded in a shower of dust.  
Nothing moved for a moment, and Leo was too stunned by what had just happened to do anything other than stand there, open mouthed.  
Then, out of the pile of golden dust, a figure rose, coming towards him.  
Instinctively he jerked back, but then light fell onto the figures face and he saw it was just Penelope. "Come on" she said, her breathing ragged, and pulled him towards the door with her.  
They opened it (Leo sending a quick thanks to whichever god was responsible for keeping doors unlocked) and slipped outside just as they heard Ed crashing through the hall, screaming  
"Demigods! I will find you!"  
They ran down the street, turned into another and ran down that one.  
Neither of them had any idea where they were going, and so for the next ten minutes it was a nerve-racking turning into random streets and alleys, hoping to come across a main road.  
Eventually they did, and for a second they allowed themselves a breath of air, while looking for  
someone to ask for directions.  
"What..was..that?" Leo panted, looking incredulously at Penelope, who looked like she was ready to keel over from exhaustion. Her eyes and features were back to normal, but a dark shadow remained on her face, as she shook her head.  
"Later."  
Leo nodded, and they asked a random woman how to get to the tourist outlook, something Leo remembered seeing on the hill where he'd parked the Argo.  
Luckily, the woman knew what he was talking about, and told them to get a cab to St. Agnes street and then it was only a short hike up the hill.  
"Thanks" Leo told the lady and they raced down the road, hoping they'd sidetracked enough to have lost Ed for good.  
"Taxi!" Penelope cried, flinging out an arm, and a yellow car came to a halt beside them.  
"St. Agnes street please!" Penelope panted when they'd climbed in, and the driver shot them a  
suspicious look but didn't say anything.  
Twenty minutes later, when the stitches in Leo's side had finally calmed down, the taxi stopped and Leo could see the hill rising before them.  
"Thanks!" he told the driver, and then realised they didn't have any mortal money on them.  
He shot a glance at Penelope, who seemed to have realised the same thing, and without needing to explain, they both opened the doors and shot out, leaving the driver yelling "HEY! Come back, you little brats!"  
They didn't hear any more though, as they were already half way up the slope and had reached the forest.  
Twigs and branches scratched their faces to bits, but neither of them slowed down.  
"Where's the ship?" Penelope cried, obviously disorientated.  
But Leo could feel where the Argo II was, as if he had an inbuilt compass that pointed him towards it. And maybe he did, of sorts.  
After fifteen minutes of jogging through the woods, they finally found the clearing and thankfully the ship was still there.  
Leo could see Jason about to climb onto it, obviously having been out to look for them.  
"Heads up!" Leo yelled as they sprinted towards the blonde boy, making him wheel around in  
surprise.  
"Leo! Penelope! What the-" But Leo gave him no time to finish, as he grabbed Jason by the front of his shirt and hurled him onto the ship, jumping in himself and followed closely by Penelope.  
With shaking fingers he shut the hatch and ran onto deck, yelling.  
"Is everyone on board?!"  
Annabeth, who was standing at the front of the deck with Piper, came running towards him.  
"Leo! Thank the gods, where were you!? We have to get out of here, Phorcys -"  
"Never mind Phorcys!" Leo yelled as he grabbed his wii control "We do need to get out of here though! Is everyone on board?"  
Annabeth was obviously confused, but she nodded.  
With a yank, Leo made the Argo II lurch into the air, probably making everyone fall over at the same time.  
"Come on Festus, pour on the speed!" he shouted at the figure head, who obliged with a roar and  
they shot up and into the night, Leo's heart still hammering in his chest.  
As Atlanta shrunk to the size of a toy town beneath them, Leo couldn't help but shiver at how close they'd come to dying today.  
"Leo, what happened?!" Annabeth demanded, while Leo set Festus on autopilot and then staggered downstairs into the sickbay, where he saw Penelope already passed out on one of the beds.  
"Later" he mumbled, before letting himself fall upon a mattress as well, and instantly falling asleep.


	29. Chapter 29: Sparks

**I just had to write this chapter today, as well.  
Sorry for the change of POV, but it had to be.  
Hope you like this!  
(I do)  
Review what you think ;)  
IDOA**

Chapter twenty-nine: Sparks

What felt like only a short time later, he woke again. Or rather, he was woken by Annabeth, shaking  
his shoulder.  
"Leo" she whispered. "Wake up!"  
"Go away" he mumbled. Every bone in his body felt like it weighed a million pounds and his eyes were so sleepy he couldn't have opened them if he'd wanted to.  
"No." Annabeth said "You have to explain what happened, and you need to direct Festus to Fort Sumter. So get up. Now."  
Even in his sleep-induced state, Leo recognized Annabeth's no-nonsense tone, and he grudgingly  
sat upright.  
"Fine" he grumbled, yawning. "Meeting in the mess hall in fifteen minutes."  
Annabeth nodded and left, closing the door behind her.  
Leo got up, wincing as he felt the bruises that covered every inch of him.  
He went over to one of the cupboards, and fished out two squares of ambrosia, one of which he ate, the other he took over to where Penelope was still sleeping on the other bed.  
Gently, he shook her, whispering "Come on, the others want us to tell them what happened."  
Penelope didn't react, but this didn't strike Leo as very unusual. After that escape, and that kind of  
use of her powers, Pen was sure to be drained.  
He needed her to wake up though, because for one thing he didn't want Annabeth to get mad, and  
for another, he knew they needed to talk.  
So he shook her again, more forcefully this time and slowly, she opened her eyes.  
Two sleepy circles of turquoise blinked up at him, and he smiled at the sight of them.  
There was a lot of explaining to be done.  
~Penelope's POV~

When Penelope woke up, she felt like a deflated air cushion.  
All she wanted to do was roll over and go back to sleep, but a face was above her, telling her she  
needed to get up now.  
The seemed very familiar, and Penelope felt a flutter in her stomach.  
Leo.  
Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she slowly sat up. The motion made the world spin around her and she groaned, holding her head.  
Leo looked at her with concern, holding out a square of ambrosia which she took gratefully.  
The taste of fresh brownies filled her mouth, making her feel better instantly, and she managed to  
grin up at the boy in front of her.  
"I feel like Hades." Penelope told him, while Leo sat down on a chair next to her bed.  
"That's no wonder, the way you behaved. What came over you?" Leo's voice was incredulous and a bit accusing, and Penelope felt a twinge of guilt.  
She knew what he meant, of course. Her stopping to face that black monster, using a surge of power  
to pulverize it, and risking both their lives in the process.  
The problem was, she couldn't really explain her actions.  
"It's a bit blurry, to be honest." she started, watching Leo's face carefully. "When it called me  
witch spawn, and said impossible, I just felt so...angry all of a sudden. Like it had insulted me badly.  
And then I knew I could destroy it, I felt so powerful. So I did. And that's all really."  
"That's all" Leo echoed, weakly. "Well, if you can do something like that, we won't have to worry about fighting Gaia anymore."  
Penelope knew he was trying to make her feel better, but she didn't.  
Instead, fear at the power she'd controlled, dominated her thoughts, and she spoke quietly  
"I don't know how I did that, Leo. But I'm pretty sure it's not something I can control, and I'm not  
even sure I want to do it again. It didn't feel like I was in control of myself when it happened,  
and that's not...nice."  
She realised her hands were shaking, and apparently Leo did, too, as he took them into his own,  
sending a shiver up Penelope's arms.  
"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to do it again. Nothing controls you but yourself."  
Penelope wasn't so sure about that, but she didn't contradict him. His touch was making her  
thoughts a little hard to voice, but she knew that there was more to say.  
Sitting a little straighter, she let go of Leo to sip some of the nectar she found in a jar on her night stand. Then, when she'd put the cup to the side, Penelope looked at Leo again, and already her cheeks started to go pink.  
"Listen, Leo, about what I said back there..."  
Leo's face didn't show any emotion, and she suddenly felt unsure about what she was about to say.  
Sure, he'd kissed her, but maybe that had just been the spur of the moment, the hope that  
they might escape the demon's clutches, and not his actual feelings.  
Gods, why did this have to be so complicated?  
Clearing her throat, Pen continued, "...don't worry about it, okay? Just ignore it, or whatever,  
I don't want you to... "  
But her voice trailed off, as she caught sight of Leo's expression, which had changed quite a bit.  
He was now smiling that devilish smile that made her heart speed up, and his chocolatey eyes  
flashed mischievously. Oh, she could get lost in those eyes...  
Unable to get the rest of her words out, she simply sat there, waiting for Leo to say something.  
But he didn't, and instead stood up from the chair, holding out his hand to help her up.  
She took it, and her breath sped up as he pulled her to her feet and towards him.  
They were so close...  
"Don't worry, magic girl." Leo leaned down to whisper in her ear "I like you too."  
He looked at her, and Penelope's heart stopped as he leaned in.  
Their lips met, in what felt like a shower of sparks, and Penelope could feel Leo's lips smiling against hers, and couldn't help but smile herself as his arms pulled her even closer.  
_This _was a proper kiss. 


	30. Chapter 30: Planing Charleston

**Hiya!  
Thanks to everyone who's reviewing this, you are awesome!  
This is a little filler chapter, to prepare you for the next ;)  
Enjoy, review and remember I only own Pen **

Chapter thirty: Planing Charleston  
~Leo's POV~

When they arrived at dinner, Penelope and Leo tried hard to act normally. They had agreed not to  
tell any of the others about what was going on between them, as they felt it would only complicate  
matters.  
So, when all of the eight had sat down at the dinner table and ordered their dinners, Leo started to tell a, slightly altered, version of what had happened to him and Penelope, starting with the kidnapping in the woods and ending with their spectacular escape from the storage hall.  
When he got to the part where Penelope had stopped to kill the black demon though, he halted and  
glanced at Pen.  
Even though the movement was so small he wasn't one hundred percent sure he was actually seeing it, Penelope seemed to be shaking her head. The message was clear: she didn't want Leo to tell the  
others about her inexplicable surge of power.  
Leo didn't like to keep things secret, but he had to respect Penelope's choice, and so he told the others a version of events where they killed the monsters using knives they'd found lying on a box.  
"Where are the knives now?" Annabeth wanted to know, and Leo felt like she was x-raying him with those grey eyes.  
"We, er, we lost them when we were running...through the forest"  
It was obvious that Annabeth didn't believe him, but she didn't press the matter.  
"That was very brave" Hazel said, and Jason nodded.  
"Yeah. We should all remember though to always keep our guard up."  
They all agreed.  
Then, talk turned to what had happened at Phorcys' aquarium, and Leo had to try hard not to laugh at the goldfish part.  
Their new course seemed to be Charleston, and he sent a message to Festus, telling him where they  
were heading.  
"So where can we find this map thing?" he asked the others, and it was Jason who answered.  
"Well, I can think of two places. One is the museum where they keep the CSS Hunley, there's lots of relics from the Civil War there. I could lead a team in."  
Leo felt his spirits lift "The CSS Hunley? Awesome! I've always wanted to see that!"  
"What is it?" Penelope asked.  
Leo turned to her "It was the first successful military submarine. So cool!"  
Penelope grinned and rolled her eyes, a gesture that plainly said _typical_. Leo winked back at her  
and she blushed, before they both remembered where they were and quickly broke eye-contact.  
"So, er , who else is coming?" Leo asked, hoping none of the others had noticed anything. At first he thought they hadn't, but then he met Piper's eyes, who shot him a smirk and wiggled her eyebrows. Urgh, those damn Aphrodite senses...  
"Frank, you should come." Jason said, and Leo sighed inwardly. Frank didn't seem to like him very  
much. "You're a child of Mars, maybe you can keep the Confederate ghosts in line."  
Frank looked disbelieving but nodded.  
"Good" Jason said "The other place is the park of the Battery where the ghost of the Battery lives, but I think only the girls should go. I went there once with Reyna, and the spirit would only talk to  
her."  
"But there's four of us" Piper said, frowning "We shouldn't travel in groups larger than three, should we?"  
Frank and Jason shook their heads, but to Leo's surprise Percy spoke up  
"I've got a feeling all of you girls should go. We're attracting monsters anyway, and maybe  
travelling in larger groups isn't a bad idea, considering what happened to Pen and Leo."  
"Okay" Annabeth agreed.  
After this, they discussed the precarious subject of rescuing Nico di Angelo, who was Hazel's half brother and was currently being held prisoner by the giants. The problem was that Roman eagles were following them, so they needed a distraction to throw them off the scent, but this would take them even longer to reach Rome in time.  
Leo saw Hazel's eyes darken with worry and felt genuinely sorry for her. It must be terrible knowing your brother could die any day.  
Yet they still decided to use Buford the table as a distraction, and so Leo sent his piece of furniture on its way.  
After dinner, they all went back to their rooms, but Leo had barely sat down on his bed, when there was a knock on the door.  
"Come in" he called, secretly hoping it would be Penelope.  
But the girl in the door had blonde hair instead of dark brown, and Leo felt his face fall a little in  
disappointment.  
"Hello, Annabeth"  
"Hey. Listen, Leo, you said you were covered in something that prevented you using your fire power right?"  
"Uh-huh" Leo nodded. Why was Annabeth asking?  
"Well, have you tried it out since?"  
Leo realised he hadn't. "No. I must have forgotten it what with all the, er, planning an' stuff"  
"Try it now then." Annabeth ordered, and Leo obliged, holding out his right hand and willing it to catch fire.  
But no flames appeared, instead a sharp pain raced down his arm.  
"Ow" he cursed, and shook his hand.  
"It's not working." Annabeth said gravely and Leo nodded. Then, fear gripped him and he asked  
"You don't think this will last forever, do you?"  
Annabeth hesitated, then shook her head. "No, not forever. But it might last a while. So be careful, okay?" her voice was concerned, and Leo promised he would be.  
When the daughter of Athena had left, he let his worry show.  
What if he couldn't get his power back? He was sure it would still be needed on this quest, and what  
if when the time came he would be completely useless?  
Panic threatened to overcome him, and he frantically tried to calm down.  
Calm, Leo, calm he told himself.  
It'll come back.  
What he needed now was a hot shower.  
Yes, that sounded like a good idea, and he got up to head to the wash room.  
He ran into Piper halfway there, and she stopped him, a smirk still on her face.  
"What?" Leo asked, defensively.  
"Where're you going?" Piper asked, obviously trying hard to hide her grin.  
"The shower" Leo answered dryly and pushed past her.  
He could still hear Piper snickering "Yeah right, _the shower_" even when he'd shut the bathroom door, and then frowned at his reflection in the mirror. His face was a little grimy, and his hair had definitely seen cleaner days.  
Once in the shower, Leo sighed as the hot water washed away the grit, and relaxed his muscles.  
Instantly, he felt better and after the shower quickly hurried to his room.  
There, it took him about five minutes to change and lie down in bed.  
Sleep instantly pulled him into its clutches and he slept like a baby.  
That was, until he had the dream.


	31. Chapter 31: The Dream

**Hey there!  
So, THE dream! Dun dun dah!  
Thanks to **_**Epicator**_** for the kind reviews, I can't PM you so I have to thank you here!  
I'm not really sure what the royal fan fic writers award is to be honest, but don't worry,  
I'm not planning on giving this story up any time soon :) Glad you enjoy it!  
I still don't own PJO/HoO,  
and that's all so here goes: **

Chapter thirty-one: The Dream

_He was standing on top of a huge mountain, made entirely of black stone.  
Far below him, Leo could see valleys of fire, and the sky around him was inky dark.  
He had no idea how he'd gotten there, but he was absolutely certain that he wanted to leave.  
But where could he go? All around him, the mountain fell in steep slopes, and beyond them was  
nothing but volcano wasteland.  
Just then, he noticed someone standing in front of him, a tall, dark skinned someone.  
"Who are you?" Leo called, over the roar of a sudden wind.  
"I'm a brother of yours" the boy called back, and Leo had a feeling that he knew his face from  
somewhere. An old cabin nine photography, that was it! This boy had been standing in front of the  
cabin, an arm around a beautiful dark haired girl.  
"You're Beckendorf!" Leo called, awe in his voice.  
"It doesn't matter who I am, or was. I have to tell you something Leo, something more important  
than anything else, d'you hear me?"  
The older boys voice was urgent, and Leo nodded.  
"Whatever happens, don't lose your power over fire, Leo!" Beckendorf yelled, as the wind picked  
up even more.  
"Why would I?" Leo asked, incredulous.  
"There are ways. But you must resist, do you understand?"  
Leo had no idea what Beckendorf was talking about, the noise of the wind made it too difficult to  
concentrate.  
"How can you even speak to me? I thought you were dead!" he called to the other boy.  
A brief look of pain crossed his dark face, but before Leo could feel bad it had already vanished.  
"This is not allowed, the dead talking to the living. But I needed to tell you. Our father wanted me  
to tell you! What ever happens, Leo! Don't lose it!"  
Suddenly, the ground between them cracked open, and a huge burning chasm separated them.  
The roar of the fire mixed with the howling of the wind, and Leo could neither see nor hear his  
older brother any longer.  
That's when he realised.  
"Beckendorf!" he called, terror in his voice "It's gone already! The liquid, it stops my fire!  
Beckendorf!"  
But there was no answer, just the sound of the elements, growing ever stronger.  
And then a huge wave of lava burst out of the chasm in front of Leo, and fell towards him, the heat searing his face, making his skin feel like it was being cut open.  
The last thing Leo heard before the wall of red crashed down upon him was his own blood-curdling  
scream.  
_Leo woke up with a yell, certain that he was about to burn to death. He was drenched in sweat and it took him several minutes to realise that the scene on the mountain top had been only a dream.  
The problem was, a dream was never only a dream when you're a demigod.  
And a dream like that especially not.  
Before he could even do something like check the time, Leo had to sit still for a few minutes, concentrating on bringing his breathing back to normal. In and out. In and out.  
The flames had seemed so real, and the fear of dying even more so...  
He needed to talk to someone who would understand this mess, someone to help him sort through  
it all. Whom he needed was Annabeth, but as it was four in the morning, Leo decided not to go to  
her quite yet.  
Instead, he quietly slipped out of his room and onto the deck, hoping the cool, crack-of-dawn air  
would help calm down his nerves.  
And it did, after just five minutes of steering Leo instantly felt a little better, and was able to think  
about his dream more calmly.  
Okay, so he'd talked to a dead camper. That was weird, but definitely not by demigod standards.  
And Beckendorf had told him that Hephaestus wanted him to tell Leo something. That kinda  
made sense as well, as Zeus had forbidden the gods from interacting with their children, his dad  
couldn't warn Leo himself, and interacting with Beckendorf might not count because the latter was  
dead.  
Good, so that all made sense, in the weird, distorted way things made sense in his world.  
But what about the warning Charles Beckendorf had given Leo?  
_Don't lose you power over fire._  
The guy had made it sound like losing his power was something Leo could chose to do. But that was ridiculous. Being able to handle fire was one of Leo's few fortes, why would he chose to lose  
it? Unless Beckendorf had meant Leo should protect it more.  
Well, if he had, then Leo had already failed. The demons had stopped his fire power, when they'd  
drenched him in that liquid.  
When Leo tried to light his hand, it was still like there was a barrier on his skin and he ended up  
hurting himself instead.  
Yet Annabeth had said that the effect of the liquid wouldn't last forever, and Leo trusted her knowledge completely.  
So was this really what his brother had meant? And if not, what was?  
It was all so confusing...  
An hour later, Leo had decided on something. He wouldn't be telling anyone about his dream, they all had enough to worry about anyway, and as long as it didn't become imminently important, Leo  
would keep the dream to himself.  
Setting Festus on autopilot again, Leo returned to his room, got some clothes and then went for another shower. He scrubbed his skin vigorously, trying with all his might to remove the remaining  
effects of the anti-fire liquid. He was pink when he got out of the shower, but still his hand refused  
to catch fire.

Maybe he'd just have to wait for the stuff to wear off, even though it made him feel weak and  
vulnerable.  
Trying to push his worries from his mind for the time being, Leo rang the breakfast bell, and spoke  
into the intercom that was connected with a little speaker in every room.  
"Good morning, folks! Please move your precious behinds to the mess hall to get some breakfast  
as we will be arriving in Charleston in just under thirty five minutes. Thank you, for you attention."  
As he made his own way to breakfast, Leo couldn't help but shudder.  
The odd thing was, it wasn't the memory of his dream that made him do this, but rather the thought of the day that lay ahead.  
Somehow, he had a very, _very_ bad feeling about what was about to happen.


	32. Chapter 32: Sweet Worries

**Sorry, but I really felt like writing some Lenelope fluff before going to bed.  
Don't worry, the story will become exciting again next chapter!  
I just had to write this, cause I'm feeling all lovey-do at the mo.  
All I'll say is enjoy the fluff while you can...It might not last long...  
Review if you would :)  
IDOA**

Chapter thirty-two: Sweet Worries

After breakfast, Leo gave the helm to Coach Hedge. They would be arriving in Charleston in  
ten minutes, and something had been bugging Leo.  
He made his way to Penelope's room, careful that no one saw him, and knocked quietly before  
opening the door and slipping in.  
"Honestly, fire boy, why do you knock if you don't wait until I say come in?"  
Penelope, who was sitting in front of her dresser, rolled her eyes at him, and then returned to  
brushing her hair.  
Leo shrugged his shoulders and sat down on her bed, watching as she started to braid her hair  
down the side.  
"What's up?" Pen asked lightly, tying the end of her braid with a dark hair band and turning to Leo.  
"Nothing" Leo lied and started to fiddle with a spare drachma that was lying on Penelope's bed.  
"Don't lie" Penelope said, and sat down on the bed as well.  
"It's just, I've been thinking.." Leo started  
"About?"  
"About that ghost in the battery. Jason said Reyna was different to him after she talked to it, and I  
didn't want.." he trailed off avoiding Pen's penetrating gaze.  
He expected her to question him further, but instead she laughed, so lightly that his spirits lifted.  
"Oh, that's sweet. Are you worried about me, fire boy?" she grinned, poking him in the side.  
"Just saying" Leo replied, flipping the drachma in his hand. It's golden glow reminded him  
of the gleam of the fire in his dream, and he could feel sweat breaking out on his forehead.  
Apparently Pen noticed, too, because she asked "Are you okay?"  
Leo nodded, quickly conjuring up a grin. "'Course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"  
It was difficult to meet her eyes when he was lying, but he did so anyway, hoping to convince her.  
"You know you can tell me everything, right?" she said, her voice soft.  
"Yeah, I know." Leo smiled, genuinely this time. He had no idea what exactly was going on between them, but he knew he trusted Penelope completely.  
"When do we arrive?" Pen asked, glancing at the clock.  
Leo did so, too. "In about eight minutes."  
"You'll take care at the museum today, won't you?" her tone was a little worried, and Leo mocked  
her "_Oh that's sweet. Are you worried about me_, magic girl?"  
"Oh, shut up." Penelope laughed, and got up, holding out her hand.  
"Are you coming?"  
"Yeah, just a minute." Leo grinned, taking the offered hand but instead of getting up, pulling Pen  
down next to him.  
"Hey-" she started to protest, but Leo cut her off with a kiss. He could feel her grin, as she inched  
closer to him. Gods, her lips were just so soft, and somehow her scent reminded him of chocolate  
brownies. Mhm...  
They didn't say anything for a while, until there was a knock on the door and Annabeth's voice called "Pen! Are you ready?"  
With a jump, they broke apart and Penelope held a finger to her lips towards Leo before calling  
"Yep, be up in a minute!"  
"Hurry up" Annabeth called and they could hear her footsteps retreating down the hall.  
For a moment there was an awkward silence before they both cracked up.  
"Come on, fire boy." Penelope grinned and this time they really did get up.  
Before they walked out of the room, Penelope stopped and stood on tip toe, leaning in to Leo.  
For a second he thought she would kiss him again, but instead she whispered in his ear.  
"And you really have to stop cutting me off mid-sentence, Valdez. Or you'll have to face my anger."  
Sticking her tongue out at him she disappeared up the stairs, leaving Leo standing in the doorway,  
watching her go.


	33. Chapter 33: Meetings in Charleston

**Oh look, a wild update!  
I think by now we have established that I am not Rick Riordan and therefore own none of these fine characters or settings except my OC.  
And now I invite you to relax. Let us pull up a chair as I proudly present: the next chapter.  
(Cookie for whoever knows where this comes from)  
Enjoy! **

Chapter thirty-three: Meetings in Charleston  
~Leo's POV~

Twenty minutes later, Jason, Frank and Leo were in line for the civil war museum. It looked boring  
from the outside, but once they were in, Leo saw lots of cool machines and other stuff.  
"Look here!" he called to the others, stopping in front of a huge rusty engine. "This was designed  
by a Hephaestus' kid. Can you see the way he made the wires fit perfectly without-" "Leo, we're on  
a mission." Jason reminded him, not even glancing at the engine. "If you wanna look at all the stuff,

you'll have to come another time."  
Leo huffed and said "Fine, you're the boss."  
Frank didn't say anything, but Leo noticed the guy looked slightly green around the edges. As Jason  
led the way to the room where they kept the Hunley, Frank even started to tremble.  
"What's up, man?" Leo asked him, clapping a hand on the big dude's shoulder.  
Frank jumped, but calmed down when he realised it was only Leo. His eyes shifted from side to  
side, and he whispered "Can't you see them?"  
"Er, see who?" Leo asked, also glancing around.  
"The ghosts. There must be at least a hundred of them!"  
Okay... Frank was really starting to freak Leo out now. As far as he could see, there were no ghosts  
anywhere, and the most dangerous thing in sight was probably a three year old toddler armed with  
an inflatable baseball bat.  
"Maybe you're imagining things.." Leo started to say, but Frank shook his head.  
"I'm definitely not. They're here, and they aren't happy." He gulped and reluctantly followed Jason into the part of the Hunley that was walk-in.  
"Okay guys." Jason, who hadn't been listening, told them "Let's keep our eyes open. If anything  
reminds you of a map, fetch the others. Kay?"  
"Yep" Leo said, now starting to get a bad feeling himself. He still couldn't see any ghosts, but he  
had the distinct feeling that they were being watched.  
"Er, Jase?"  
"Yes?"  
"Frank's seeing ghosts. And he says they're not happy."  
This information, which might be a source of worry to most, seemed if anything to please Jason.  
"Good, they're here. Frank, see if you can ask them where the map is. They should know, after all."  
"Er, I don't think they want to t..talk to m..me.." Frank stuttered.  
"Course they will" Jason smiled easily. It was amazing how confident he could be, how much of a  
natural leader he was. All Leo wanted to do was get the Hades out of here.  
"Look," Jason said, lowering his voice. "Just tell them that you're a son of Mars, and therefore they  
must provide the information you seek. Make it sound like you actually believe what you're saying  
and you'll be fine"  
"Yeah, you go, ghost master!" Leo said cheerfully, trying to reassure himself as much as Frank.  
Frank nodded, not looking convinced at all, and Leo couldn't help thinking how much he _didn't _want to fight a mob of angry ghosts. But Jason was the boss, so they each spread out and started to  
search for the map.  
There were plenty of them, actually, but none that looked like they might be of the secret demigod  
kind. Leo was just about to slip off to check out some of the more interesting stuff in here, when  
the whole room went dark.  
People started to scream and hurry out, pushing Leo as they passed him.  
Great, he thought, and went back to get Jason and Frank.  
When he found them, he sincerely wished he'd left a little earlier. Surrounding the three boys were  
at least a hundred pale soldiers, all dressed in the same uniform, all looking extremely pissed off.  
Apparently Frank _wasn't _the ghost master after all. 

~Penelope's POV~

Walking through Battery park with the three girls was nicer than Penelope had expected it to be.  
They actually had a good time comparing the four boys while they were looking for the ghost, and  
soon all of them were grinning broadly.  
"So" Piper said "Who d'you think would win in a fight: Jason or Frank?"  
They all thought for a second. "Frank" Annabeth said, and Penelope agreed.  
"Jason" Hazel blushed a little, as if she felt bad for not saying her boyfriend's name.  
"Yep, I'll have to go with Jason as well." Piper smiled, winking.  
"But Frank can turn into any animal he wants to" Annabeth reasoned "He could turn into a dragon  
with a hide so thick, Jason's lightning wouldn't penetrate it."  
"That's true I guess." Piper wondered "Why would you say Jason, Hazel?"  
Hazel giggled. "Imagine Frank getting into a fight."  
This made them all chuckle. Frank was such a teddy bear, the idea of him picking a fight was simply too hilarious.  
"Hey, what's that over there?" Penelope asked the others suddenly, pointing.  
Just a few feet away from them, a glowing figure stood, waving them over.  
"Is that-" Annabeth started, but was cut off by Piper's outburst "Oh no, not her!"  
"Who is it?" Hazel asked incredulously, and Penelope shrugged her shoulders.  
Piper was already stomping off ahead, and they all followed quickly.  
"Hello, girls" the woman smiled at them, and her smile was so perfect, Penelope felt like she was  
actually being blinded by it.  
The woman herself was breathtakingly beautiful, even though her appearance was oddly unfocused.

"Hello, mother" Piper muttered gloomily, and Pen realised that this was her first encounter with a  
goddess. Aphrodite.  
"Are you Aphrodite or Venus?" Annabeth asked suspiciously, and the goddess laughed, a high, clear  
tinkle.  
"I am both, Annabeth Chase. Love is universal, after all."  
Penelope couldn't help staring at the goddess. Her hair changed colour all the time, and so did her  
eyes. Only her dress stayed the same, a pink southern-belle gown.  
"Mother, can you tell us where the map is?" Piper asked Aphrodite, obviously not thrilled about this  
family reunion.  
"Oh, dears, let's sit down first, shall we?" with a wave of her hand, a pavilion appeared next to the goddess, complete with a table set for five and some delicious treats.  
Penelope didn't really feel like sitting down, but how could you decline a goddess's invitation?  
So they all pulled up a chair, and let Aphrodite pour them cups of peppermint tea.  
"There, that's nicer, isn't it?" the woman smiled, regarding them all like they were favourite toys of  
hers.  
"Such beautiful young girls!" she exclaimed, patting Hazel's head. "No wonder Hera chose all  
of you. Yes, very pretty. You, Annabeth Chase, you especially have surprised me, growing into a  
gorgeous young woman like that."  
Annabeth did not smile. It was obvious she didn't care for Aphrodite's girlish behaviour, and Penelope liked her all the more for it.  
"Please, my lady" Annabeth said tightly "Could you help us with finding the map?"  
"The map, oh that's easy. It's the Fort you'll want, my dear. But let's have a little chat first. You're all  
such excellent stories, I mean girls."  
Piper's eyes widened in horror, and her cheeks flamed with embarrassment. "Mom!"  
"What, Piper? I want to talk to all of you. What with all this civil war stuff going on, I hardly ever  
get to have a nice little chat with demigoddesses like you anymore."  
Penelope noticed that while Aphrodite was looking intently at Annabeth, Piper and Hazel, the goddess's eyes seemed to slide over her whenever they came near her. Inexplicably, this made Pen  
feel bad.  
Was there something wrong with her?  
"What about you, Annabeth. Finally you and Percy are together! I've been telling your mother for  
_ages _you two would end up going out, but she never wanted to hear of it! Can you imagine! And  
Piper..."  
As Aphrodite went on monologuing, the four girls shared a look. The situation was clear: they had found out what they'd wanted to know, and now they should get going.  
"Er, Mom?" Piper said, tentatively.  
"Yes, Piper?"  
"We really need to get going. Thanks for the, er, stuff."  
Aphrodite looked a little crest-fallen, but nodded anyway. "Yes, I suppose you must"  
"Thank you, Lady Aphrodite" Annabeth said, and Hazel and Penelope nodded, forcing a smile.  
One after the other, they got up and walked out of the pavilion, but when Penelope pushed back her  
chair and stood up, Aphrodite held up her hand.  
"Just a moment, daughter of Hecate. I would like a word with you. In private."  
The others looked confused "My lady-" Annabeth started, obviously anxious to get going.  
"Don't worry, Annabeth. Penelope will join you when we are finished. You may leave now."  
Penelope knew her friends couldn't argue with the goddess, but she still threw them a _help-me _look  
as she sat back down again.  
Piper shrugged her shoulders helplessly, and mouther _We'll meet you at the end of the park._  
Pen nodded and gulped.  
What was it the goddess of love wanted to tell her?  
And why did she get the feeling it wouldn't be good?


	34. Chapter 34: Under Attack

**ONE MORE DAY until I can read House of Hades.  
Ohgods, it's driving me crazy! Grr...  
Anyway, thanks to all of you who read this story, you guys are amazing :)  
Some action for ya in this chapter! Hope you enjoy it!  
Got a little sneak-peek at the end of the chapter, so read on!  
(::) {- (Here's a free cookie for all you awesome people) **

Chapter thirty-four: Under Attack  
~Leo's POV~

Flying was something Leo had always thought of as amazingly awesome, and he'd always been jealous of Jason for being able to control the wind. Now, dangling in Frank the eagle's huge talons,  
Leo's mind had definitely been changed.  
He yelled and cursed, trying to get Frank to land on the Argo II, which was sailing towards them, but suddenly a tide of arrows shot underneath Leo's feet, making him yell in surprise.  
Turning his head, he realised the Romans had finally caught up with them. Great.  
They'd barely escaped those maniac ghosts at the museum and now they were going to be killed by mad Romans instead. Somehow this was not how Leo had planned his day.  
The assault of the Romans made Frank overshoot the Argo, and they headed straight for Fort Sumter, which stood on an island, looking menacing.  
Just then a huge BANG went off behind them, a sound which Leo recognized instantly as someone,  
probably Coach Hedge, shooting from the ship's ballista. It made the pegasi pulling the flying chariot above them bolt and singed Frank's shoulder, making him cry out in pain.  
Leo had barely time to think _Uh-Oh_, before he was released from the talons and started to fall, _very_  
fast. Jason, obviously in pain as well, made a grab for him, but the weight was too much and both of them were sent flailing down towards the very hard looking ground of Fort Sumter.  
_CRASH_.  
Leo slammed into a wooden bench, his breath disappearing in a big whoosh and his whole  
body screaming in pain. For a moment, he lay there dazedly, but then realised more Roman enemies were advancing on them.  
Cursing, he got up, thanking the gods that he hadn't broken anything, and tried to shoot blasts of fire at the enemy demigods, but still his hands wouldn't respond. At least they didn't hurt anymore though, when he tried.  
The whole situation pissed Leo off extremely, and he whipped out a hammer from his tool belt, swinging it like a mad man, occasionally seeing Jason in hand to hand combat with another Roman, and once he even thought he saw Annabeth, blonde hair flying, dodge through the crowds of demigods and tourists. The mortals, of course, were being dumb, yelling "Look at the re-enactment, it's so real!" to their friends.  
Stupid blind people, Leo thought, as he dodged a spear flying towards him and sent a random stone back in return. Gods, these kids were _skilled. _  
Suddenly, Jason appeared beside him, shouting "We have to get to the ship!"  
Leo nodded, and together they raced towards the ramparts, where the Argo II was waiting for them.  
"Jason, watch out!" Leo yelled, as he grabbed Jason and yanked him to the side, making an arrow  
miss the guy's head by inches.  
"Thanks!" Jason called back.  
They had reached the ship and saw Percy, Piper, Hazel, Penelope, Frank and Coach Hedge fighting against an onslaught of Romans trying to crawl aboard.  
Jason held out his hand, and Leo ducked, knowing what would happen. Sure enough, a bolt of lightning came down from the sky, cracking right into the crowd before them.  
The Romans yelled, as the leapt out of the way, leaving Jason's and Leo's path clear, for only a second. But that was all they needed.  
Once aboard, Leo ran to the helm, ready to take off and leave these idiots behind. But Piper stopped him, yelling "Annabeth's still in the Fort!"  
Damn! Leo cursed, and grudgingly took up a place next to Pen at the side of the ship, aiming the ballista at oncoming enemies.  
"So, how was the museum?" Pen yelled over the racket, and Leo grinned in spite of himself. He loved it how Penelope could stay normal even in a life threatening situation like this.  
Suddenly the clouds grew dark, and the water around them started to churn angrily. Leo saw Jason and Percy standing at the front of the ship, swords crossed, and realised they were summoning a storm together. The sight made Leo's spine shiver, and for a moment he forgot where he was just by the overwhelming effect of the forces around him.  
Just then Piper hauled Annabeth on board, who screamed at Leo to "go, go go!"  
He didn't need telling twice, and before another minute had passed they were racing away, leaving the fort in the distance, a smudge of black on the horizon.  
They were now heading for the Mare Nostrum, home of monsters and giants, a thought Leo tried to keep out of his head as he typed some coordinates into his controls.  
Some time later, the winds and sea finally calmed down, and Coach Hedge ordered Leo to let go of the wheel.  
"You've been steering for two hours." Coach told him.  
"Really?"  
"Yeah. Now let go."  
With some difficulty, Leo prised his hands away from the wheel, and walked below deck, to sickbay, where Percy and Jason were lying in the beds, looking like they were suffering from the worst hangover, ever.  
"Nice job" Leo grinned at them, and they managed a faint smile.  
Annabeth and Piper were fussing over them, though the girls both looked pale as well. Over in the other corner, Hazel and Penelope were tending to Frank's arm, which seemed severely burnt.  
"Hey, Leo" Frank called.  
"Yeah?"  
"Sorry for dropping you, man. I swear, it wasn't on purpose." the guy looked so guilty and worried, that Leo's resentment vanished almost immediately.  
"Don't worry about it" he grinned, waving a hand.  
All in all, he thought, they had managed a relatively clean escape, and he was thankful for it.  
"Come here" Penelope, who had walked over to him, said and led him to a chair.  
"What?" Leo asked, eyeing the wad of blue stained cotton she had in her hand suspiciously.  
"We need to clean that" Pen answered, pointing to something on Leo's shoulder blade.  
He craned his neck and saw a raged cut there, filled with tiny splinters of wood. He guessed it was a souvenir from his crash landing on the table, yet he hadn't felt its sting until now.  
"Oh" he managed, and Penelope smiled sympathetically.  
She made Leo sit down, and then dabbed the blue liquid on the wound.  
"This will make the splinters dissolve" she told him "It's less painful than pulling them out."  
Grateful that he wasn't about to be picked at with a pair of tweezers, Leo let Penelope clean his wound, and ate the tiny square of ambrosia she handed him.  
"You okay?" he asked, giving her a once over. There were no obvious wounds, and Penelope nodded "I'm fine." She seemed kind of distant, but Leo decided not to worry about it.  
"Good." he told her.  
An hour later, they were all more or less back on their feet, except for Percy and Jason who were sleeping in the sickbay room, still knackered from the use of their powers.  
The rest of them were sitting in the mess hall, exchanging stories.  
Frank and Leo told the girls all about the angry zombie ghosts in the museum, and Annabeth explained their encounter with Aphrodite.  
"So then Piper told her we had to leave, and she let us go. ...That's all really."  
Here, Leo noticed the tiny look pass between Penelope and Annabeth, a look clearly saying that there was something Annabeth wasn't telling Frank and him.  
He decided to ask Pen about it later.  
They talked about strategies for a while longer before having an early dinner and returning to their rooms.  
Penelope and Leo were the last two to leave, and before Pen could walk out, Leo held her back.  
"What was that look between you and Annabeth?"  
Penelope raised her eyebrows "What look?"  
"You know which one I mean." he said, not backing down. "What weren't you guys telling us?"  
Pen sighed. "Aphrodite wanted to talk to me in private. That's all."  
She said it as if it didn't matter, but the words gave Leo a bad feeling.  
"What did she want to talk to you about?" he asked stiffly, kind of dreading the answer.  
"Oh, it was nothing really. She said some stuff, none of which made sense, and then I left." There was only the slightest tremor in her voice, but Leo knew Pen well enough to notice it.  
"What stuff?" he asked, putting a hand on Pen's shoulder.  
But she shrugged it off, pushing past him "I don't want to talk about it, okay?" she said, her tone suddenly irritable.  
Before Leo could say another word, she rushed down the hall and into her room, slamming the door behind her.  
Slowly, he walked back to his own room, sat down on his bed and stared at the wall.  
He'd thought that they'd all made a clean escape, but now, with Penelope's words still ringing in his ears, he wasn't so sure anymore.

**Sneak-peek:**

Leo watched in horror as the monster advanced on Jason and Penelope, easily deflecting their attempts to destroy it, snapping its long sharp fangs.  
Suddenly, it lunged and smacked its claw into the two, sending them flying  
towards the ground.  
Leo's body felt paralysed with fear, and he realised that if he didn't do something _**right now**_** that creature would kill his friends.  
Shouting, he ran forward, but it was too late...**

DUN DUN DAH.  
Review, you fine people! 


	35. Chapter 35: Nighttime

**An update!  
Not a very exciting chapter, but they say it's normal for it to be calm before a storm.  
Wow, I'm so poetic. Not.  
Okay, I don't own PJO/HoO and I really don't think any of you believe I do.  
Enjoy! **

Chapter thirty-five: Nighttime  
~Penelope's POV~

Penelope couldn't sleep that night. No matter what position she switched to, no matter how many satyrs she counted jumping over the fence, she didn't doze off even for a second.  
Deciding that it was a lost cause, she got up instead and walked out on deck, leaning against the railing, the soft wind making her hair blow around her face.  
The ocean at night was if possible still more amazing than during the day, she thought, as she gazed at the darkness around her. Tonight was even more breathtaking than usual, as the moon was entirely obscured by the earth's shadow and so there was no light except for the distant sparkling of thousands of stars.  
Penelope always felt comfortable at night, no doubt a trait inherited from her mother's side , and the purplish blackness soon made her feel safe and at home. This was the closest she got to being with her mother, as the goddess had never contacted her before, if you didn't count the claim mark.

It wasn't as if Penelope really needed to talk to her mother, but there was a deep yearning inside her that longed for someone to comfort her and tell her what her life was about.  
Aphrodite had mentioned some things, but they'd been so obscure and senseless, that Penelope didn't even want to think about them.  
Sighing, she walked up to the helm, where Festus the dragon was set on autopilot.  
"Hi Festus" Penelope whispered softly, and the dragon puffed a little greeting.  
She smiled and patted his neck, the only spot she could reach.  
She could imagine how magnificent Festus must have been when he'd had a body, and how much Leo must have loved the dragon.  
Leo...  
Penelope still wasn't entirely sure where they stood at the moment. They hadn't said that they were officially going out, but then again, did they have to say it out loud to make it real? Somehow Pen  
doubted it, but still...  
Before her talk with the goddess of love, she'd had less doubts. And now she couldn't decide what to believe.  
Yet there was another reason why Penelope hadn't been able to go to sleep that night: A memory, so faint she wasn't really sure it wasn't just a fantasy, had surfaced and played itself repeatedly before her mind's eye.  
_I give you my blessing, child. _A woman's voice whispered, so familiar it made her heart ache, but also so strange she wouldn't have recognized it had she heard it elsewhere.  
Had it been her mother, Hecate? And if so, was Hecate watching over her now? Keeping her safe?  
Accompanied by the voice in her memory had been the faint warmth of a hand on her cheek, caressing it before letting go. Somehow the hand and the voice didn't fit together, like they didn't belong to the same person...  
Just then a little creak behind her made Penelope jump. She whirled around, expecting to see a horrible monster, but it was only Hazel, looking guilty.  
"Hello?" Pen said, making it sound like a question. What was the girl doing here?  
"Hello" Hazel answered, leaning against the railing next to Penelope. "I couldn't sleep."  
"No, me neither."  
There was an awkward silence, and Penelope couldn't help but remember the way Hazel and Leo had laughed together, like they'd known each other for ages.  
Hazel seemed to be reading her thoughts, as she said, her voice soft "You know Frank is my boyfriend, right?"  
"Yes?"  
"And I, I think I might love him. But only him. Leo's just..." her voice trailed off, and Penelope glanced at her face to see her staring into the distance.  
"Leo's just what?"  
Hazel sighed. Then, she turned to Penelope "He looks like a boy I used to know, back when I was alive the first time. Sammy was his name, and he, he was _just like _Leo. I swear, both ridiculous but kinda cute at the same time." she laughed, probably at an old memory. Penelope forced a smile.  
"What I'm trying to say is" Hazel continued "that Leo's only a friend to me. And I know he likes you."  
A weight she hadn't known existed seemed to lift off Penelope's shoulders. Somehow it felt nice hearing Hazel say that, and she managed a genuine smile.  
"Thanks, Hazel."  
Hazel smiled back at her, saying "Maybe we could be friends, too. Now that you know I don't..like Leo that way."  
Penelope didn't know what to say. Had her grudge against the daughter of Pluto really been that obvious? That Hazel didn't think she liked her?  
"We're already friends, Hazel. I was just being stupid."  
"We're all stupid sometimes." Hazel answered, and they both laughed a little.  
"Yes, I guess so" Penelope said, when an idea suddenly came to her  
"Listen, Hazel, when you came back to life, did you...remember your old life?"  
For a moment the girl didn't answer, and Penelope's hope lifted, but then Hazel said "Yes, I did. I even had really vivid flashbacks, all the time. Sorry."  
The hope faded as quickly as it had come. Suddenly it was hard to breathe.  
She managed to shrug her shoulders, as if it wasn't a big deal. "Never mind, it was just a silly idea."  
Suddenly she felt a soft pressure on her shoulder and looked down to see a hand there.  
"Wanting to find out where you come from isn't silly, Penelope."  
The understanding in Hazel's voice was so sincere, Pen could feel tears coming to her eyes. She turned her head in the other direction and quickly wiped them away, but somehow she got the feeling Hazel knew they were there anyway.  
"We should go get some sleep" Penelope tried to sound upbeat, yet the suppressed helplessness was evident in her voice.  
"Yeah, probably" Hazel agreed and they both went downstairs, stepping quietly as to not wake up the others.  
When they reached Penelope's door, Pen turned and whispered "Good night".  
"Good night" Hazel whispered back, giving her a brief but warm hug before she walked away.  
Five minutes later, Penelope was sound asleep in her bed.  
She didn't dream anything, but that wasn't unusual for her.  
The truth was, although she didn't realise it, Penelope R. had never had a single dream in her life.


	36. Chapter 36: Damage

**Sorry my lovelies for not updating yesterday!  
I finally got my House of Hades! YEY!  
It's awesome in my opinion, but there's something I would like to make clear:  
I already had the whole concept for this fanfic before HoH came out.  
I don't know if there will be (I haven't finished the book yet) but if there are any  
similarities between HoH and The Light in the Sky, those are purely accidental.  
Also there might be a few contradictions, but well, that's what fan-fiction is all about isn't it?  
Just something I wanted to say.  
So I hope you enjoy this and maybe leave a little review for me to read ;)  
I still don't own any characters etc except my OCs.**

Chapter thirty-six: Damage  
~Leo's POV~

Being woken up by a huge crash was not something you'd want when you were aboard a ship which was supposedly in the middle of the Atlantic, with no coast for miles and miles around.  
Sadly, that was exactly what happened the next morning.  
Leo had been peacefully dreaming about some demons chasing him over a hillside (for him, that _was_ pretty peaceful) when an almighty _crash_ had rocked the whole boat, and then made it stand still.  
Still, as in not moving.  
Leo hurriedly put on some clothes, not caring that his shirt was on back to front, and raced up onto  
deck.  
What he saw made his stomach drop to his knees.  
In front of the Argo II was a giant stretch of land, clustered with clumps of trees and deserty wasteland. The ship had sailed straight into the island, crashing hem first into its rocky shoreline. Alarms started wailing, and the others ran outside as well, looking around wildly for the threat. Coach Hedge had his baseball bat at the ready, swinging it in a wide arc, shouting "Come on, you filthy monsters! I feel like killing something before breakfast!"  
Piper had to dodge the bat, and hissed "Stop that!" at the satyr, making him drop his weapon immediately.  
"What happened?" Annabeth asked, her hair like a messy blonde halo around her head. Behind her  
Percy stood, Riptide at the ready but sleep still evident in his eyes.  
"We've run a ground" Leo grumbled, already punching commands into his controls.  
"Yeah, I kinda gathered that" Annabeth said impatiently "What I mean is, how could that have happened?"  
Leo had no idea how it could have happened. The radar on the Argo II was more than excellent, and  
even if, by some infinite possibility, it had stopped working, then Festus would have warned them in time.  
Unless the island had appeared out of nowhere so fast that neither the radar nor the dragon had picked up on it, Leo couldn't explain the crash.  
He told the others this, and they all looked at one another helplessly.  
"There must be a reason this island stopped us" Penelope said, walking to the edge of the deck to  
have a closer look at the landmass before them. "Any ideas what this place might be?"  
No one had, not even Annabeth.  
"Leo" Percy, who was now looking more awake, said "How long will it take to repair the ship?"  
Leo took a moment to calculate. Just underneath Festus's head, there was a massive dent in the ship,

made by an impossibly strong bolder. Several leaks seemed to have appeared in the ship's hull, and  
a few supports had been unfastened or broken upon impact.  
"Maybe two hours" Leo guessed, already thinking of all the things they'd need to repair the damage.

"Okay, we'd better get started. Piper, - " Jason said, but Annabeth interrupted him  
"Some of us should score the island, just in case there really _is_ a reason we've landed here. Maybe one of the gods wanted us to find this place."  
Nobody contradicted her, but Frank murmured "Doesn't mean the place's friendly", a statement with which Leo silently agreed. Even if some god actually had made them strand on this desolate place, that didn't necessarily bode well for them. He'd had too much experience with what the gods would call "help".  
Still, Annabeth's proposal made sense, and so he said "You're probably right. I'd go, but I'll need to supervise the repairs. Frank and Annabeth, I could really use your help."  
The two demigods nodded, which left Piper, Percy, Jason, Hazel and Penelope to decide who would

go ashore.  
To his surprise Penelope spoke up first "I'll go. I can feel magic around here, maybe I can find out more about the place."  
Leo didn't like the idea of letting Pen go on that island unprepared for what was waiting there. The last time she'd gone on an unknown island was still vividly imprinted in his memory, and he really  
didn't want that to happen again.  
But he could hardly order her to stay.  
"I'll come, too" Percy said just as Jason stepped forward "I'll go with you."  
There was a tiny awkward moment, something Leo had noticed happening between Jason and Percy  
every now and then. He could kind of understand it, but right now they had more important problems than who was this month's stronger demigod.  
Thankfully, Annabeth seemed to be thinking along the same lines and said "Great! The three of you  
can go together then."  
Leo saw her shoot Percy a look that said something like _get a grip _and the son of Poseidon went slightly red and looked at the floor.  
"Shall we leave in, say, ten minutes?" Penelope proposed and the two boys nodded.  
They all dispersed, Leo giving out orders to the crew members who were remaining aboard. Before he got to work himself though, he went to his room and fetched something which he'd built last night. At the time he'd had no idea why he was making it, but now he was glad he had.  
Walking to Penelope's room, he gripped the tiny circle of bronze tightly in his hand, and knocked.  
"Come in" Pen's voice said, and maybe it was his imagination or but it sounded a little unenthusiastic.  
"Hey" he said lamely, standing in the door.  
"Hello" Penelope was just packing a little leather satchel, and didn't look up at him.  
"I came to gave you this" Leo said, and walked up to her, holding out the bronze circle in his hand.  
Penelope took it, turning it in her hand, still not lifting her gaze. "What is it?"  
"Emergency signal transmitter. I'm making them for all of us, but, well, that was the first one I got finished."  
He waited for her to say something, but she just continued turning the little device in her hand.  
"If you're in trouble, you just press the middle and we'll get a distress signal. That way we'll know if  
you guys need help."  
"Thanks, Leo." Pen put the transmitter into her pouch, and swung the whole thing across her shoulder. Why wouldn't she look at him? He didn't want things to be like this between them.  
"Be careful, okay?"  
"We will." Pen's voice was much more distant than usual, and she kept her eyes fixedly on a point just left of Leo's head.  
Sighing, he turned and walked to the door, but something made him stop and he turned around, unable to stop himself from asking "Penelope?"  
He didn't often use her full name, and maybe it was this that made her finally meet his eyes, or maybe it was the obvious desperation in his voice.  
"We're okay, aren't we?" Leo hated himself for asking such a question, but he needed an answer.  
Penelope's bright eyes clouded over, and Leo thought he glimpsed a terrible sadness in them for a second.  
When she spoke, her voice was grave "I don't know Leo. I don't know."  
With this she walked past him out of the room, not turning back.  
When Leo walked onto the deck as well, Jason, Percy and Penelope were already in the air, flying towards the unknown.  
_I don't know. _The words hurt more than Leo had thought they would.  
Something had happened between yesterday morning and now, and he had no idea how to make it okay again. All he knew was that he needed to try, even if that meant forcing Penelope to tell him what Aphrodite had told her.  
Leo remained deeply immersed in thought while he worked, and didn't talk to anyone, except to give orders. He was so preoccupied, he didn't hear the noise at first.  
When he did, fear raced a cold path down his spine, and he cursed himself for not paying attention.  
The buzzing sound that was now ringing clearly was the sound of an alarm. The emergency signal transmitter he'd given Pen.  
The sound could only mean one thing: Jason, Percy and Penelope were in serious trouble.


	37. Chapter 37: Talos

**Hiya, you fine people!  
Enjoy this chapter, it's very exciting :O  
Haha, hope you like it.  
There will be SPOILERS FOR HOUSE OF HADES at the END OF THIS PAGE  
I repeat, SPOILERS FOR HOUSE OF HADES.  
I accidentally read one before I got the book, and I was soo mad!  
Anyway, please read and review! **

Chapter thirty-seven: Talos  
~Penelope's POV~

Walking across an island with a son of Zeus and a son of Poseidon was less awkward than Pen had  
imagined it would be.  
They actually got along pretty well and for the first time Penelope felt like she was with people who  
could really understand what she was going through.  
Percy and Jason had both lost their memories as well because of Hera, and so she didn't feel uncomfortable when Jason asked if she'd remembered anything so far.  
"Well, I don't know if it's a memory" she confessed "But I heard a voice saying _I give you my blessing child _and the feel of a warm hand touching me. It's not much."  
"But that's great!" Percy sounded enthusiastic and Jason nodded  
"Yeah, now you've remembered a little thing, you're probably going to remember everything soon.  
That's really good news!"  
Penelope smiled at them, grateful for them trying to cheer her up, but inside she didn't feel like this was good news at all. She wasn't even sure she _wanted _to remember her old life. Not if it would  
change the way she felt about her friends.  
The more she thought about it, the scarier getting her memory back seemed.  
What if she didn't belong anywhere at all? Back at camp, the others had told her about  
loners, demigods who don't go to camp but choose to survive on their own, never belonging anywhere. _  
_Or if, even worse, she'd been a horrible person in her life before? What if she had other friends, friends on the bad side? There were too many things that could go wrong if she ever got her memory back.  
But she couldn't bring herself to wipe the encouraging looks off her friends' faces so she smiled instead and said  
"Yeah, it is." as convincingly as she could. Luckily children of Hecate seemed to have an aptitude for hiding their true feelings.  
"So, is there anything we're specifically looking for?" Percy asked, glancing around them. The landscape was pretty southern, dry ground and clumps of spindly trees, lots of boulders and an occasional stream. It was amazing how big the island was, and how it had seemed to pop up out of  
nowhere. Penelope was almost sure something was going to happen here, but she didn't get the feeling it would help them. "Don't know"  
After another half hour or so of checking out the island, Jason had just suggested they head back when Percy pointed to their left, where a valley swooped down below them. "What's that?"  
Penelope looked where he was pointing, and saw a bronze shine through the trees. A very big bronze shine.  
"Looks like Celestial Bronze" Jason said, squinting down.  
"Maybe it's one of those scrap parts Hephaestus flings onto earth every now and then!" Percy said  
excitedly. "We could bring it to Leo, I bet we could use some more celestial bronze!"  
Penelope considered this. On the one hand, walking into a valley towards an unknown source of divine metal didn't seem like a good idea, especially on an island like this.  
On the other, retrieving the bronze would take them a bit, which meant she could avoid the ship for a little while longer. Plus, there was a strong magical feel down in that valley, which should have scared her off, but only made her want to examine it all the more.  
"I say we go. There's magic down there, maybe we'll find something interesting." she said, and Percy and her turned to Jason who shrugged.  
"Okay. As long as the something interesting doesn't want to eat us, I'm, fine."  
And so the three of them made their way down the slope, carefully walking into the little wood at the bottom of it.  
Percy and Jason both had their swords at the ready, so Penelope got her knife out as well. She only hoped she wouldn't need to use it.  
When they arrived at the bottom of the valley, the first thing she noticed was how much drier the ground had become. No stream flowed here, and the leaves of the trees were dry and brittle, coloured a rusty brown.  
Percy seemed to have noticed this as well and was shifting uncomfortably, as if the lack of water drained him, too.  
"So, where is this Celestial stuff?" he asked, aiming for a light tone but kinda failing.  
"That way" Jason said, leading them to the east, looking uneasy himself.  
Penelope could understand the boys' apprehension, this place was way creepier than the rest of the island. The magic surrounding it was so obvious, Penelope felt like she could have picked a ball of it from the air. Her senses weren't as acute as her siblings yet, but she was pretty sure this was a concealment spell, and an extremely powerful one at that. Something that needed hiding like this would not be small.  
Just when she was about to suggest they return to the ship and leave the bronze, Jason stopped, and she walked into him.  
"Ow!" "Sorry!" "Quiet!"  
They all fell silent, as they stared at the sight before them.  
It was a ditch, a huge basin in the ground, completely filled with Celestial bronze. But the bronze wasn't scrap bits. In front of them, a huge round place with a little ridge in the middle and two slits  
lay. They were looking at a gigantic metal face.  
Fear gripped Penelope as she took in the rest of the metal body. It was impossibly big, and the worst part was, it was _alive_.  
What she took to be the chest was rising and sinking, a little too un-rhythmically for her liking.  
"Let's go" she whispered to the others, but Percy and Jason stood staring at the metal giant.  
"I've seen him before" Percy whispered, and Penelope could see anguish in his face.  
"What? When?"  
"Back when I was fourteen. We came across something like him in a junk yard. This is Talos, one of Hephaestus' automatons. Back then we only saw a prototype. But he...he killed one of my friends."  
Silence followed Percy's words as both Jason and Penelope looked at him in horror. If what Percy had met back then had been a prototype and still killed a demigod, what would this thing do to them? Somehow Penelope didn't believe this was another prototype. This was the real Talus.  
Very, very quietly, she edged backwards. The automaton rumbled. _Uh-oh _she thought. _It's waking up.  
_They all retreated as carefully as they could. But even though they made hardly any noise, the monstrous form of Talus shifted, and to Penelope's horror, started to get up. Thankfully, its head was  
facing away from them, but this didn't stop its massive body from scaring the Hades out of them.  
Suddenly, a crow flew from the branches behind them, shrieking loudly as if saying _Hey, Talos! Some tasty snacks behind ya! _  
They all held their breath, as Talos cocked his head to listen. Then, slowly, the giant turned his head,  
and looked directly at them, his eyes glowing a fiery red like Festus's only not half as friendly.  
Penelope could feel her breathing coming in rapid gusts, her whole body petrified with terror.  
This thing was scarier than anything she'd ever faced before, just because of its size.  
But at the moment it didn't seem to be making a move to attack them. It simply sat there, probably considering whether they were worth the trouble of sitting up.  
Just as Penelope dared to hope they could inch away without getting flattened, Talos roared and Percy yelled "Run!"  
It was difficult to break through the paralysis she was in and Penelope suspected the magic of this place was trying to stop them leaving. But when Talos roared again and started to stand up, they all finally managed to break free and ran back through the woods, towards the hill.  
They had barely reached it when Talos set a giant foot onto the earth, making the whole ground shake like an earthquake.  
Pen could feel her feet leaving the ground, and saw Percy crash head-first into a boulder, crumpling to the ground. Jason went flying as well, but managed to catch himself in mid-air before landing  
a few feet away.  
She herself went sprawling to the ground, her breath leaving her in a big whoosh.  
When she righted herself, Talos loomed over them, his massive form casting a shadow so long it reached the top of the hill.  
There was no where to run, Penelope realised. Percy was out and even if she and Jason managed to grab him in time, and Jason somehow got them to the air, the automaton could simply swat them with one of his giant hands.  
Even worse, Penelope could see the thick armour covering its insides, making their weapons useless. They were cornered by a massive killing machine, and none of them would be able to switch it off.  
Machine. Mechanic. Leo!  
With a howl, Penelope realised there might be one person who could help them.  
But how could she call for him knowing it would just put him in immeasurable danger? Especially with what Aphrodite had said...  
_A tragic end...  
_No, this was no time to think of it. Already Talos was lifting a huge hand, ready to kill them with one swat. Penelope saw Jason flying up to his face, zapping him with lightning, but it was no use.  
Talos was too powerful.  
So, begging that this wouldn't be both of their death-sentence, she lunged for her pouch which was miraculously lying two feet away and got out the little emergency signal transmitter.  
She pushed the button, and a red light glowed on the device, blinking manically. Please hear this, Leo, she thought as she got up and hurried over to Percy.  
Talos was engaged with Jason at the moment, but Pen knew he wouldn't last long if she didn't help.  
So, she dragged Percy behind the bolder with difficulty, hoping that it would be enough to shield him.  
Then she stepped out, gathered all her strength and let the fire of Hecate alight her hands in purple flames, the familiar feeling of power coursing through her.  
Aiming straight for the giant's face, she threw the purple fire, hitting Talos directly between the eyes. He cried out in pain, but the flames didn't seem to affect him very much.  
Jason started zapping his hands, trying to stop them from grabbing him, but Penelope could see he was getting weary.  
Again, she concentrated all her power and threw another hand of flames at Talos, this time aiming at his shoulder.  
The fire managed to hit a chink in his armour and he roared in outrage, swatting at the purple flames, extinguishing them. Now the giant was really angry.  
Before he knew what was happening, Jason had been knocked out of the air, crashing into the ground.  
"Jason!" Penelope cried and started to run over to his crumpled form, but Talos was quicker. His massive hand hit the floor just inches next to Penelope, and the impact sent her flying right next to where Jason lay. Her body screamed in pain as it hit jagged rocks, making black dots appear in front of her eyes.  
Talos towered over them, raising his hands for a final blow.  
Penelope knew they wouldn't survive this.  
_Leo, _she thought groggily, blood flowing down the side of her face.  
_I'm so sorry._

**SPOLER ALERT _SPOILER ALERT**

Ohmygods, Leo and Calypso! Personally I prefer Lenelope (hehehehe)  
but Caleo is waaay better than Lazel or Leyna!  
So yey for that!  
Also poor Nico! It fits perfectly with the plot though, but poor him!  
Percabeth's Tartarus scenes were amazing, but I hope Rick doesn't let them forget the  
time spent there in the next book, as they would be really traumatised.  
None of the seven died, which was shocker! But in a good way!  
Poor Bod, I love you Bob.  
Anyway, soo excited for Blood of Olympus.  
Waaaah *fangirls and dies*_  
_


	38. Chapter 38: Explosion

**BADDAM.  
Another update!  
Oh yeah and the sneak-peek from chapter 34 concerns this chapter, though I've changed  
the wording a bit (a lot).  
Thanks to everyone who reviews.  
Please don't kill me after you read this...**

Chapter thirty-eight: Explosion

~Leo's POV~

"Zhang! Come here, quick!" Leo yelled as he sprinted out on deck. The alarm was ringing like mad now and horrible images flooded Leo's mind.  
He had to concentrate, had to go help them.  
Frank appeared next to him, clearly confused. "What's up?" he asked.  
"No time to explain! You need to fly me onto the island! Now!" Leo cried as he ran up to Festus and gave him some quick commands.  
He must have been so alarming that Frank didn't even question Leo's orders, but transformed into an  
eagle and waited for Leo to get on.  
He did so, and they took off, leaving Piper and Hazel running onto deck behind them, yelling words  
Leo couldn't hear anymore.  
Fast as lightning, Frank zipped towards the middle of the island, dropped down and started to circle. Leo's heart was hammering in his chest. What had happened to the others?  
Although the island was huge it didn't take them long to out where Percy, Jason and Pen had got to.  
That was probably because it was kinda hard to miss the gigantic automaton looming into the sky,  
roaring a battle cry and swiping at something in mid-air, which Leo guessed to be Jason.  
"Frank, over there!" Leo called but Frank had already spotted the fight and was flying towards it.  
Just as they approached, Leo saw Jason fall to the ground and not get back up again. He could see  
Penelope sprint towards him, but the metal giant brought down his fist and sent her flying.  
When she hit the ground, she didn't move.  
Oh no.  
Leo's brain was hazy with fear but he knew he had to think straight.  
If he didn't do something _now, _that monster would kill his friends. Suddenly the giant raised his hands for a final blow.  
"No!" Leo shouted and jumped off Frank's back and onto the giants head, smashing into his skull with all his might.  
But it was too late. The machine brought down his hands, aiming right at Jason and Penelope, using its whole, incredible force.  
But suddenly the gigantic arms were knocked of course, by a huge green dragon flying head-first into them. Frank had come to the rescue.  
Yet the giant wouldn't be defeated this easily. He swatted at Frank and sent him spiralling away, into a clump of trees. Then the monster redirected his attention to the unconscious demigods on the  
ground.  
"No, no no!" Leo yelled. He had to stop this thing, had to disable it somehow.  
But how could he do that? Somewhere inside his brain, something clicked and he realised what this  
thing was. Talos, the mighty automaton his dad had once built for Zeus, who had given it to Europe  
as a protector.  
If he remembered correctly, he'd read about the automatons circuits being located inside his right ear, on a scroll he'd found in Bunker nine.  
It was a long shot, but the best one Leo had.  
He slipped down one side of the giant's head, kicking him all the while to distract him from the others.  
Talos roared and tried to flick Leo off, but Leo had already found the entrance to the right ear and was now crawling through an oily passage.  
Yuck, he thought, automaton's ear wax.  
Soon, he found a control panel, and ripped off the covering, but to his horror the circuits were laid  
in a way that made them impossible to disconnect.  
The only way to destroy them was to liquefy the celestial bronze wiring, but he had no fire.  
He felt Talos banging on the side of his own head, and knew that he wouldn't last long if he didn't get outta here soon.  
He tried to light his hands, but still the fire didn't come.  
Leo was useless, here was the one thing he was supposed to be able to do, and yet he couldn't do it,  
and his friends would die because of him.  
Penelope would die.  
No, he couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't let that happen.  
A rage gripped him, so fierce it felt like his insides were on fire, and he did nothing to calm down.  
Instead, he plunged his arms into the controls, screaming in rage.  
He would not be the useless seventh wheel. He would not see his friends be killed.  
He was no longer the helpless kid that had to watch as Gaia let his mother burn to death.  
He was Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus, and he was going to bring this monster down.  
With all his might, Leo willed his fire to the surface and it did, breaking out in a blast of heat,  
so warm that the circuits instantly caught flames.  
His head was so filled with concentration that he didn't notice the alarming bangs and beeps going off around him, he didn't notice anything except how the wiring underneath his hands was melting to puddles of celestial bronze.  
Suddenly there was a huge shudder as the whole automaton sank to its knees, finally shutting down.  
But Leo had stayed too long. He'd burnt to much. The insides of the automaton became over-heated, the whole brain searing hot.  
Leo tried to get out, but just as he reached the exit, there was an almighty explosion and he was blasted into the sky, jagged bits of metal and clumps of fire filling the air around him.  
_Well, this is it_. Leo thought dizzily as he started to fall.  
He might be immune to fire, but he was not immune to explosions that sent thousand of shards of debris right at him.  
Already Leo could feel himself loosing consciousness, and he wondered if he would feel himself  
hitting the ground, his brains probably going splat on impact.  
He tried to brace himself, but the collision never came.  
Instead, arms wrapped around him and held on tightly, carrying him away.  
Leo tried to make out the face above him, and he got a glimpse of bright turquoise eyes, filled with tears.  
_Thank the gods you're safe_ he wanted to say, but he had no energy left.  
All he could do was feel glad, as his vision darkened, that the last thing he would have done on this earth was save the people he cared for most in the world.  
He caught one last flash of blue sky, one swish of familiar dark hair before everything went black  
and Leo Valdez knew no more.

**Ah don't kill me! *ducks out of the way***  
**So I have 92 reviews on this story, which is totally awesome, and I really want to see  
if we can reach a hundred.  
Which means ****I won't be updating until we have a hundred reviews.****  
Muhaha.  
Love you (even if you don't love me)**

Oh yeah, and of course I don't own PJO/HoO  



	39. Chapter 39: Chleo's Gift

**Ohmygods, thank you SO MUCH for 100 reviews!  
You can't believe how much this means to me, I could hug you all!  
I'm so pleased you like this story, as it's really important to me, and when I  
read that you are enjoying it, that just makes everything so perfect.  
A special thank you to **_**Sarah Lauren, **_**whose review was the ****100****th****!  
And thanks to all the guests I can't PM.  
Also, a shout-out to **_**Epicator13! **_**You're awesome.  
All of you are :)  
Okay, okay, I know you want to find out what happens to Leo.  
So here you go:  
Enjoys, my lovely readers!**

Chapter: Chleo's Gift  
~Penelope's POV~

Penelope had thought that after getting attacked by a giant automaton, her day couldn't really get any worse.  
But it did. Much, much worse.  
When Talos had raised his fist to give her and Jason the death blow, all Penelope had been able to think of was how she would die without having sorted things out with Leo.  
This hurt more than the wounds on her body, and tears obscured her vision of the metal fist racing  
towards them. Seconds before impact however, something miraculous had happened.  
A second before they were crushed, something huge, green and scaly had crushed into Talos's arm,  
knocking it off course so that it smashed into a boulder a few feet away.  
Penelope was too shocked for a second to move, but then realised they'd been given an impossible  
chance.  
"Jason!" she yelled, shaking the boy next to her, who thankfully was conscious again. "We need to move!" Jason nodded grimly and they scrambled painfully a few yards back.  
Penelope feared they would be smashed any second now, but Talos seemed to be distracted, swatting at something on top of his head, like an annoying fly.  
With a yell, Penelope realised the something was actually Leo, who was now climbing _inside _the  
machine's head. He had come for her. He was saving her life again.  
A wave of gratitude washed over her, but was erased again the next second by incredible worry.  
What if he got hurt, fiddling around in Talos's head, and it would be all because of her.  
"Pen, over here!" a voice suddenly called, and she looked to her right to see Frank stumbling out of the trees, back to normal again.  
"Frank!" she called, running over to the big guy. "Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. We need to get outta here! Where's Percy?"  
"Over there!" she pointed over to the boulder where she'd half hidden Percy.  
Jason was back on his feet as well, holding his hand out as if to summon lightning again.  
"No, don't!" Penelope slapped his hand down, getting a little shock. "Leo's in there!"  
"What?!" Jason yelled, starting forward.  
"He's trying to turn that thing off, I think" Frank explained, having hurried over to where Percy lay.  
Talos continued to roar behind them, clutching at his head, smoke pouring out his ears.  
"We don't have long!" Penelope cried, fearfully watching the giant.  
"Jason, can you take Percy and fly back to the Argo? Get the ship ready to take off, we might need to make a quick escape. Frank, you and me are going to get Leo out of there okay?"  
The boys nodded, and Jason grabbed Percy and flew up into the air. His face was drawn with exhaustion and worry, and for a second he hesitated, watching the giant blunder around.  
"GO!" both Frank and Penelope cried, and he turned around in mid-air, heading back the way they'd come.  
"Frank, we need to get up there!" Penelope pointed at Talos's head.  
Just then the automaton started to sink to his knees, the red light in his eyes fading.  
Frank yelled happily "He did it!" transforming into an eagle and giving a happy cry.  
But something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.  
Instead of simply shutting down, the metal giant started to smoke even more, tongues of fire licking the side of its head.  
There were bangs and rumbles, and a split second before it did, Penelope knew what was going to happen.  
A huge explosion went off inside the machine's head, and a gigantic ball of flames shot into the sky, accompanied by hundreds of bits of scrap metal.  
"LEO!" Penelope cried, shielding her face from the shards of celestial bronze.  
Through the smoke she could see Leo flying through the air, limp as a rag.  
"Frank! We need to catch him!"  
With a jump she got onto Frank's back and they shot into the air, dodging burning metal bits as best as they could.  
Leo had already started to fall, and for a moment Penelope feared they wouldn't reach him in time.  
But Frank sped forward, and with a thump caught Leo on his back.  
Quickly, Pen wrapped her arms around his body to keep him from falling off. They soared away into the sky, heading straight towards the Argo II.  
Her heart stopped when she looked down at Leo. His face was covered in ash and scratched to bits.  
His eyes were opened only a slit, and his head lolled from side to side.  
What frightened her most were the burn marks on his hands and arms. Leo didn't get burn marks.  
"Frank, hurry" Penelope chocked out, clutching Leo tightly to her.  
_Please, Leo, please be okay. _

They hurtled onto the deck and barely avoided crashing into the mast. Hazel and Piper were already there, and the moment they landed Penelope started screaming for Coach Hedge.  
"Help! Coach, you need to help him!"  
The satyr came hurrying up the stairs, a grim look in his eyes.  
With surprising calm he said "Zhang, get him downstairs. Sickbay. Now."  
Frank, who had turned back into himself, scooped Leo up and hastened down the stairs.  
Penelope staggered to her feet, thinking of nothing else except to follow.  
It would be her fault if Leo died, she had called him, and she had voted for going into that valley in the first place.  
"Hey, it's okay" Piper hugged her, talking soothingly. But even her friend's charmspeak wouldn't calm Pen down.  
"I..I said I didn't know if we're okay" she sobbed.  
"You need to take a deep breath" Hazel said, stroking her arm. "Before you go down."  
Penelope nodded. She knew her friends were right but she was so afraid.  
Still, she steadied her breathing, and when Piper nodded, raced down into sickbay.  
"How is he?`" she demanded, sinking to her knees beside Leo's bed. His face was deathly pale, there were cuts and bruises all over his body and worst, the horrible burn marks on his arms that shone an angry red.  
"He almost drained himself using his powers like that." Coach Hedge said gravely, mixing little herbs into a cup.  
"What do you mean?" Penelope said, unable to tare her gaze from Leo's face.  
"Leo must have broken through the barrier caused by that liquid" Annabeth, who was sitting next to Percy's bed, explained. "It would have taken an immense heat to melt that giant's circuits, which I guess Leo did. Using a power excessively like that...It's not good."  
There was fear in the blonde girl's eyes, and Penelope felt like a cold hand had gripped her heart.  
"He'll be okay though, won't he? There's still ambrosia and nectar and..." she looked pleadingly at Coach Hedge.  
"I don't know if he'll be okay. When a demigod almost drains himself using his powers, the body is so weakened it couldn't handle ambrosia. And without that...well, it's not looking good " the satyr's voice turned gruff "I should've come! I would've taken that monster down!"  
Oh gods. He might die. He might not make it.  
Horrible scenarios filled Pen's head, each one worse than the one before.

"Isn't there anything you can do?" her voice sounded broken.  
"It would need powerful magic" Coach Hedge grumbled, obviously distressed "And we don't have that kind here."  
Penelope cursed herself. Here she was, a child of Hecate, the _freaking goddess of magic_ and she wasn't even able to cast a spell to help her friend. If only she was as good as her siblings, as good as Cal, or even better Chleo. Chleo...  
She gasped and jumped up.  
How could she have forgotten?  
"What is it?" Annabeth asked, but Penelope had already raced out of the room, up the hall and crashed through the door of her cabin. Flinging everything out of her draws, she finally found the little bag she was looking for and sprinted back to the sick room.  
"Here" she gasped, holding the bag out to Coach Hedge.  
The satyr eyed it mistrustfully "What's this?"  
Penelope was almost too excited to speak, so she got the object out of the bag and showed it to Annabeth and Coach.  
Annabeth took in a sharp breath, and leaned in closer. "Is that..?"  
"Yes" Penelope nodded "Amazonite"  
"Amaz- what?" Percy said, making them all jump as none of them had realised he'd woken up.  
"Amazonite." Annabeth explained, her eyes wide in wonder. "It's a powerful healing stone, named after the river Amazon, which shapes each stone into unique forms. This one" she held it up, and stroked the smooth surface, where two tiny golden torches were engraved "This one is probably the most famous of all. The legend says Hecate used it to cure her first demigod child, when that child used its powers to defeat a terrible monster that was threatening the goddess herself. She succeeded, but almost died in the process, so Hecate took this stone and healed her. The rumour is that the stone will heal almost anything, but that it can only be used again one more time."  
Now the daughter of Athena looked at Penelope in wonder "How did you get it?"  
"Chleo." Penelope explained. "She gave it to me the morning we sailed for Camp Jupiter. Apparently it used to belong to a sister of ours, one she told me I reminded her of a lot. She" here Penelope found her voice broke slightly "she said I was more powerful than any of them, and that I  
might need it."  
Annabeth slapped her head. "Of course! I wanted to ask you about what Chleo gave you, but I forgot! Which sister did she mean though?"  
But Pen shook her head, "Later, okay?"  
"Sure. Sorry." Annabeth turned to Coach Hedge. "Do you know how to use it?"  
The satyr, to both their surprise, nodded. "That story's famous among us satyrs. Not really a lot to the process though. Here, give it to me."  
He held out his hand and Penelope carefully placed their best hope to heal Leo into his palm.  
Coach slipped of the remaining shred that once was Leo's shirt of the boy and placed the Amazonite exactly in the middle of his chest.  
Then he started to say a few words in a strange language Penelope did not recognize, but which reminded her of growing trees and little saplings.  
The silence that followed Coach Hedge's incantation was so intense, you could have heard a feather drop. They all held their breath as they waited whether or not the stone would work.  
And then, slowly, the Amazonite started to glow, a soft golden light, and waves of it washed all over Leo's body. Before their eyes, his scars and bruises healed and the burn marks became faint and pink. With each wave, Penelope felt her heart lift. _Please, let this work.  
_After a final golden wave, the stone turned black, making the golden engraving glow brightly in contrast.  
Carefully, Coach Hedge removed the gem and handed it back to Penelope, who pocketed it.  
"Did it work?" Annabeth asked, and the satyr took a moment before he answered.  
"Can't say. Should've, but ya never know with magic. I guess it's safe now to feed him ambrosia though."  
"I'll do it." Penelope said, and Coach nodded, offering her his seat. She sat down and took Leo's hand, which was still limp but warm.  
"Give him some every now and then." the satyr told Pen, who took the ambrosia he was holding out. "And eat some of it yourself."  
"Percy, can you get up?" Annabeth asked her boyfriend, who stood up and walked over.  
"We'll leave you alone for a bit." Annabeth smiled, and kissed Penelope's cheek, who threw her a look of thanks, and the three left the room.  
When she was alone with Leo, Penelope whispered "Thank you, Mum. Thanks Chleo."  
Sitting by Leo's side, Penelope felt grateful, even though she wouldn't know if Leo was really okay until he woke up.  
But at least this had made her realise something. It didn't matter what Aphrodite had told her, she shouldn't have been scared by it. The only thing she cared about at the moment was that her friends  
were safe. From now, she would chose her own fate. Whatever that might be.  
And as she sat there, gazing down at the face so dear to her, she got the feeling that she might not have to look far to find it.


	40. Chapter 40: We're Okay

**Oh look, it's an update! Hooray!  
All I can say about this is **_**fluffy sappy fluff sap. **_**  
But that's okay, because Leo almost died. So fluff is okay.  
I love me some fluff.  
Here ya go, please enjoy :]**

  
Chapter forty: We're Okay  
~Leo's POV~

It was the middle of the night when Leo woke up.  
He felt weak, drained like an empty water basin. His whole body hurt, and his skin felt oddly raw and exposed.  
What had happened? The last thing he remembered was flying through the air, and arms wrapping  
around him. A shiver passed through him as he recalled the certainty that he was about to die.  
But apparently he hadn't, unless this was death, which somehow he didn't believe.  
Slowly, painfully, Leo opened his eyes. He was in the sickbay of the Argo II, and moonshine was flooding in through the bulls eyes, bathing everything in soft, silvery light.  
However all Leo noticed was the girl sitting next to him, her dark hair gleaming purplish and her eyes piercing even in the gloom. They were filled with worry as they gazed out at the night sky.  
"Hey there" Leo croaked, making the eyes look at him, and their owner smiled, a very faint but truly happy smile.  
This made Leo instantly feel better.  
"Hey there" Penelope breathed, and squeezed his hand Leo had only just noticed she was holding.  
Penelope didn't say anything else, she simply sat there, holding his hand and comforting him with her presence.  
He remembered how he'd felt when he'd seen Talos about to kill her, how it had given him the strength to finally break through the spell and use his fire.  
"I thought I was going to lose you." Leo whispered, gazing at Penelope.  
Her expression suddenly seemed to grow darker, as if a shadow had fallen on her whole body.  
"You saved my life. Again. You almost sacrificed yourself, I...I thought you were dead."  
Her voice, so good at containing itself normally, cracked and a single tear fell from her bright eyes onto her cheek. It looked like a drop of moon light, glowing silvery pale.  
This emotion touched Leo somewhere deep down, and confirmed the feelings he'd had all along.  
"Don't leave me."  
Penelope looked at him, not answering. Leo knew she understood that he wasn't talking about right now, wasn't talking about the present.  
Slowly, as if still pondering her answer, she opened her mouth. "I promise to always be there for you."  
It wasn't exactly what he'd thought she would say, but he guessed it meant the same.  
A smile spread on his face, but he felt weak all of a sudden as well.  
"Here" Penelope said, holding out a square of ambrosia. She helped him sit up to eat it, and then gently pushed him back down again. "You should try to get some more sleep."  
Leo nodded, but when he closed his eyes, images of explosions and sharp metal flying at him filled his mind, and he could feel that horrible sensation of his life draining away again.  
Involuntarily, his eyes flew open, only to find Penelope still sitting there, looking concerned.  
"What is it?" she whispered, but Leo just shook his head. There was no need in frightening her as well.  
He expected her to get back up at some point, and even though he didn't want her to go, he knew she needed some sleep.  
When she stood up, he had to stop himself from holding her back. She'd stayed with him long enough already, yet he feared being alone right now.

Yet Penelope didn't walk over to the door. Instead, she lifted one corner of the blanket covering Leo and climbed into bed beside him. Quickly, he moved over a bit to give her enough room, and she lay down, intertwining her fingers with his. He put one arm around her, hugging her close and they lay like this until Leo could feel himself getting drowsy and drifting off.  
Thankfully, the images stayed away now, and he smiled dreamily.  
Maybe he imagined it, and maybe not, but just before he completely fell asleep, he thought he heard a whisper, right next to his ear.  
"I'm glad we're okay, Leo."


	41. Chapter 41: Truth or Dare

**Okay, so I know this chapter is like a really stereotypical one,  
but I just needed them to have some fun. We've had so much injury,fear and romance, I thought a little humour would do them some good.  
Also I find it hard to believe they would never do anything silly on this quest, I mean they're seven (or in this case eight) young teenagers, how could they spend all that time together  
and never do something normal, or funny? So that's why I decided to write this :)  
Enjoy, review and watch out for the next update!  
**

Chapter forty-one: Truth or Dare  
~Penelope's POV~

When she woke up the next morning, Penelope felt more at peace than she'd ever felt before.  
The sun shone in through the ship windows and filled the sickbay with bright morning light.  
Next to her, Pen could feel Leo's chest rising and falling steadily. It felt so nice that she didn't move at first, until at some point she decided they'd better get up.  
"Leo." she whispered, looking at his face, which looked much younger when asleep.  
No response. _Typical_.  
"Fire boy" she whispered more loudly, poking his side. This time she was rewarded with a little  
grumble.  
_Fine, have it your way _she thought, slid out of bed and yanked the covers away forcefully.  
"Get up!"  
"Argh!" Leo cried, sitting up straight and looking around wildly.  
Penelope laughed, chucking some spare clothes at him. "Come on, rise and shine. Just because you were seriously injured yesterday doesn't mean you can be lazy today!"  
Leo rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, half grinning, half scowling. "You're impossible, you are."  
"Yup. I'm going to get dressed, meet you at the mess hall in ten."  
With that she swept out of the room, giggling silently at the expression on Leo's face before the door shut.  
Secretly she would have liked to stay cuddled up like that for a bit more, but she knew the others would be up soon and that they would all want to see Leo and make sure he was okay.  
Also, a tiny part of her was still reluctant to...expose herself like that. She knew something elemental had changed that night, but in the morning light it was difficult to acknowledge it.  
Still, she had a grin on her face all the time she was getting dressed and when she walked into the mess hall.  
All the others save Hazel and Percy were already there, more or less awake. Hazel, Penelope expected, was sea-sick and Percy would still be asleep like a rock.  
Leo was sitting at the table, looking almost back to normal with his usual devilish grin on his face.  
When Pen walked in, he moved over and motioned to her to sit down next to him.  
She did so, blushing a little and quickly busied herself with her breakfast, not meeting Piper's eyes, whom she could feel staring at her.  
"So" Leo said when finally Hazel and Percy had arrived as well, Percy bleary eyed and Hazel's face slightly green "We're about a day and a half away from Rome. What do we do when we get there?"  
They all fell silent, until Hazel spoke up, her voice shaky "We need to save Nico. He's only got two days left."  
Nods went around the table, and Penelope felt her heart go out to the golden eyed girl.  
What must it feel like knowing your brother only had forty-eight hours to live, and that it was up to you to save him? She didn't even want to imagine it.  
"I have to follow the Mark of Athena." Annabeth suddenly spoke up, and they all looked at her. The mark had been talked about before, but not until now did they all realise how dangerous Annabeth's solo quest would be. Penelope saw a flicker of fear pass over Percy's face, and her heart ached.  
It was bad enough for her that her friend was going on this dangerous mission, how awful must it be for the son of Poseidon?  
"And the twin giants. We'll have to fight those." Jason added grimly.  
Nobody spoke, and Penelope could literally feel the mood dropping like a stone tossed into water.  
It was a shame, she thought, that so much danger and fear lay ahead of them. If it weren't for the quest, their time together on the Argo II would probably be just about the best time any of them would ever have.  
Rome was looming ahead of them, and with it came more confusion and enemies.  
What they needed now was something to boost their spirits, something they could enjoy together one more time before things got really serious.  
Apparently, she wasn't the only one to be thinking along these lines.  
"Let's play truth or dare" Annabeth said, breaking the silence and surprising everybody.  
"What?" Percy asked, looking at Annabeth like she'd lost it.  
"Let's play truth or dare" she repeated "We all need to loosen up for a bit, that's obvious. We can't do anything until we arrive in Rome and that won't be until tomorrow, so why not enjoy ourselves why we still can? I don't know about you guys, but I could definitely use a laugh."  
At first everybody seemed so perplexed by her suggestion that they all just sat there, but then Piper  
laughed. "You're right Annabeth. We _should _do something fun, who knows when we'll next get the chance."  
"Alright!" Leo said happily, and Penelope grinned at the sight of his excitement. Sometimes he was just such a kid, but she liked him all the more for it.  
"Who goes first?" Penelope asked.  
"Me." said Piper, and directed her question at Percy. "Truth or dare?"  
Percy thought for a second before saying "Dare."  
This made an evil grin appear on Piper's face, and Pen chuckled.  
"I dare you, Percy Jackson, to kiss the person on your right's cheek, say you love them and tell them they're sexy."  
Everybody erupted into laughter as they all looked at the person on Percy's right: Frank.  
Percy himself was red like a tomato, but he lent over to Frank, kissed his cheek, which made Frank's mouth turn down in disgust and then said, "Frank, I love you. You're awesome and I think" here Percy had to laugh himself "I think you're really sexy Frank."  
Penelope couldn't stop giggling.  
"Okay..." Percy chuckled "Me next. Jason, truth or dare."  
Jason's pondered it and then said "Truth."  
"If you could be the son of any other god or goddess, who would it be?"  
"That's boring Percy" Piper complained, and Percy, doing the mature thing, stuck his tongue out at her.  
"Well, Poseidon's pretty cool I guess" Jason said slowly. Percy wiggled his eyebrows. "But I'd probably say Apollo."  
"Why Apollo?" Annabeth asked.  
"I just always thought he was kinda cool." Jason explained, shrugging. "Right, Hazel truth or dare?"  
"Dare."  
This surprised Penelope, as she wouldn't have thought Hazel would go for dare. But the game seemed to be having the effect Annabeth had planned, everybody was enjoying themselves and for the moment, their troubles faded into the background.  
"Pretend you're a boy and ask a girl for a dance." Jason told Hazel who grinned and then, in a very un-Hazel-ish way, rolled her sleeves up, puffed her chest out and strolled over to Penelope, who snickered.  
"Why hello, my fine lady." Hazel drawled, and Percy and Leo howled with laughter. "Would ya do me the honour of dancing with me?"  
Pen accepted Hazel's offered hand and they got up to waltz a few turns around the room, with Piper and Annabeth humming a melody.  
At the end, Hazel even kissed Penelope's hand, and they both sat down again, giggling.  
"Right." Hazel said, her voice back to normal. "Leo: Truth or dare?"  
Of course, Leo didn't hesitate for a second "Dare."  
Hazel smiled, like this was exactly what she'd been hoping for.  
"I dare you" she said, meeting Piper's eyes, both of them smiling the same knowing smile "to stop pretending."  
Huh? Penelope looked around, yet nobody seemed to understand Hazel's order.  
"Hazel, what do you-" Percy started to say, but just then Leo turned to Penelope, and pulled her to him, kissing her right on the mouth. Right there. In front of everybody.  
Pen could feel the heat rising to her cheeks but at the same time she felt glad that finally they weren't pretending anymore.  
When they broke apart, there was silence for a second, before a few wolf-whistled, and Piper and Hazel grinned.  
Leo and Pen laughed self-consciously and then picked up the game again.  
They spent most of the morning in the mess hall and Penelope felt like it was the perfect day.  
Leo was well again, they were all having a good time and she had kissed Leo in front of everyone.  
Of course, she realised later, it was all too peaceful to last.


	42. Chapter 42: Small Attacks

**Sorry for not updating yesterday!  
Might do two today to make up for that ;)  
Okay, so the other day two of my guy friends were walking next to each other and one had on  
a purple shirt and the other an orange one, and I was thinking like ohmygods, Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood together, but I didn't say anything because nobody knows PJO/HoO here! Grrr...  
Thanks for all the kind reviews!  
(::) cookie for you all (::)  
Not my best chapter, but hopefully, you'll enjoy it anyway  
**  
Chapter forty-two: Small Attacks  
~Leo's POV~

After the relaxed and fun morning they'd had, Leo had been certain something would crop up to spoil their day pretty soon. At around four o'clock, he was proven right.  
They had arrived at the pillars of Hercules, which supposedly marked the place where the ancient guys had thought the world stopped or something like that. (Leo never listened too closely when Annabeth went on one of her history rants.)  
But not only were they about to enter _really _dangerous waters, you know, as opposed to the lovely, calm voyage they'd had so far (not), now they had to deal with the god Hercules, who was waiting for them on an island.  
Of course Leo had heard a lot about the guy, last but not least because he'd been quite a Disney fan when he was younger, but he gave him the creeps, even from so far away. Secretly, Leo was glad it  
would be Piper and Jason flying down to meet him.  
In the mean time, the rest of the crew and himself would polish up the Argo II, making sure everything down to the last door-hinge was strong and working, ready for the Mare Nostrum.  
They all said bye to Piper and Jason and then Leo gave out chores.  
Percy and Annabeth were in charge of the engine room, Hazel and Frank would check the rooms and stables, Coach Hedge, who had offered to maintain the ballistae, Leo ordered down to sickbay to make sure all the provisions and stocks were full. No doubt they would be facing quite a few injuries soon.  
Himself and Pen were up on deck, washing the floors, checking the mast and ballistae, and making sure Festus was well oiled and running.  
As they worked next to each other, Leo couldn't help but feel relieved that everything seemed to be back to normal between them again.  
They talked lightly about random stuff, and every now and then Penelope would pause to give him a kiss on the cheek or a smile.  
After an hour of work, he suggested having a break, and they sat down on the floor with some food.

"What's taking Piper and Jason so long, you think?" Leo asked, munching a taco.  
"No idea. Maybe they have to entertain Hercules." Penelope shrugged, peeling an orange.  
She offered some to Leo, who took a quarter.  
They ate in silence, until Penelope sighed, looking out at the sea. Her eyes were troubled, and the little furrow she got when she worried was clearly visible on her forehead.  
"What's wrong?" Leo asked, nudging her. She blinked, and tore her gaze away from the ocean.  
"Nothing, really. I'm just...wondering." "About what?" Leo realised his voice sounded worried, which made Pen give him a reassuring smile. "Just same old, same old."  
"Oh." Leo knew he should have something more worth-while to say, but he couldn't think of anything. Sometimes he forgot how much they still didn't know about Penelope' history.  
She had now absent-mindedly taken out an odd black stone with a golden engraving.  
"What's that?" he asked, pointing at it.  
"Amazonite." Penelope explained, holding it out to him. It was beautiful, engraved with two golden torches. "We used it to heal you." Pen said, telling Leo about how they'd used the stone to stop him dying.  
This gave Leo a shiver. This small rock was his saviour? "Where did you get it?" he wanted to know.  
"Chleo gave it to me. It used to belong to another daughter of Hecate, Samantha Davis was her name." Penelope took the stone back and turned it in her hand. "Chleo said I reminded her a lot of Sam."  
That was news, Leo thought. He hadn't been at camp long enough to know this Sam, but he heard the appreciation in Pen's voice.  
"What happened to her?"  
"She...died. On a quest for our mother. That was three years ago."  
This made Leo uneasy for some reason. Maybe he just didn't want Penelope compared to some girl who had died on a quest, maybe it was something else.  
"Demigods die all the time, sadly." He said, trying to console his friend.  
"Yeah, I know. But the odd thing with Sam was, they never found her body, or found out how she died."  
"Then how do they know she did?" Leo asked.  
Penelope looked at him. "Her permanent enchantments stopped working. One day, every spell she'd ever cast just ceased and a purple shroud appeared on her bed. Chleo said that was a definite sign that Sam had died."  
Leo suddenly felt really bad for Chleo, even if she wasn't always the nicest person. It must be hard to have lost one sister to a quest, and then watch the next one, who incidentally reminded her of the first, to go off on one as well. But mixed with the pity was gratitude that Chleo had given Penelope the Amazonite, and he made a mental note to thank her, if he ever got the chance.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to get so depressing." Penelope suddenly laughed, getting back up. "Come on, there's more stuff to -"  
VOOM. Something flew straight into Pen, knocking her to the ground. "Pen!" Leo yelled and sprang up, but all around him more VOOMS sounded as maybe ten weird green-blueish creatures that looked like men but were covered in scales, jumped onto their deck, wielding spears and draped in algae.  
The tallest one, probably their leader, stepped forward and swept the shaft of his spear underneath Leo's legs making him fall. "Hey!"  
Out of the corner of his eye he could see Penelope, throwing off one of the weird fish-men and making him topple over board.  
"Surrender" hissed the leader, baring his sharp, piranha like teeth at Leo.  
"Er, how about no?" Leo shot back and jumped up, conjuring flames in both his hands.  
This had an effect on the fish-men, who backed up a little. Penelope, seeing what Leo was doing held out her palms as well and made them blaze with purple light. Involuntarily, Leo grinned.  
"Not so brave now, are you?" he remarked, letting his flames grow higher. Sadly, that had been the wrong thing to say. Apparently, the fish-men didn't appreciate being called cowards, even if they were facing incineration. Pointing their weapons, they formed a circle around Pen and Leo, who now stood back to back, and advanced.  
"Shoot!" Leo called, and from the shrieks that followed, he gathered that Pen had obeyed. He himself sent jets of fire at three monsters, making them evaporate. But more were now arriving, closing in tighter, and even though Leo and Penelope kept shooting flames at them, they were heavily out-numbered.  
"Who are you, anyway?" Leo asked randomly, desperately trying to play for time, as the fish-men came at them ever faster.  
"We are servants of the old gods of the sea." hissed one, lunging at Penelope who ducked and stabbed it with the stylet she now held in one hand.  
"Phorcys." Leo cursed under his breath. If only Percy were here, he might be able to control these weird sea-monsters. But the others were under deck, and Leo had no idea how long it would take them to realise the ship was being attacked.  
"You should leave." Penelope said, her voice stern and powerful. It reminded Leo a little of when Piper used charmspeak, but sadly it had no effect on the monsters, of whom there were now around fifteen. How could the others not hear them?!  
The fish-men leader laughed coldly, facing Penelope.  
"A desperate try, girl." he hissed, advancing menacingly while Leo tried to hold off his cronies.  
"You have no control over us, even if you bear the-"  
But the monster was interrupted by a shout. "Hey, fish-guys! Look who joined the party."  
And before any of the monsters could react, a wave of ocean water swept onto the deck, caught hold of every single one of the creatures and ripped them away, so that all that remained were two broken spear points.  
Percy stood before them, his hands raised and a little cloud of water surrounding him.  
It dropped when he stepped forward.  
"You guys okay?" He asked, putting a hand on Pen's shoulder.  
They both nodded their heads.  
"Yeah. What took you so long?" Leo asked, half-jokingly.  
Percy's brow furrowed. "I don't know. It's like one moment we were working in the engine room and the next I heard a commotion and ran up. Why, was I that late?"  
Pen and Leo nodded, but Penelope quickly added "It doesn't matter now, we managed to hold them off. I guess we're going to have to face loads of attacks like that now we'll be travelling in that sea."  
The boys agreed with her, and they all went downstairs to inform the rest what had happened.  
On the steps, Leo caught hold of Penelope's arm and whispered. "What do you think that guy meant?"  
Pen shook her head "No idea. Apparently, I bear something, but who knows what it is. Just another thing to put on our list of _things we don't know about Penelope, _isn't it?" 


	43. Chapter 43: Rome and Relatives

**Hello my lovely readers!  
Here we have a new chapter, and it's getting exciting.  
Hope you like this, tell me what you think and  
keep your eyes open for the next update!  
Also, check out Epicator13's story!  
Enjoy! **

Chapter forty-three: Rome and Relatives  
~Penelope's POV~

After a spectacular escape from Hercules's island (apparently Piper and Jason had angered the ex-demigod pretty much), and almost being taken hostage by some weird pirates who had a phobia of Dionysus, Penelope's head felt like it was going to explode.  
The pirate leader, the one who called himself Chrysaor, had said some unsettling things, before Percy had made him and his awful crew go away.  
One of his remarks simply wouldn't leave her head:_  
We have an understanding with the witch Circe. She will buy the women – either as slaves or trainees, depending on their skill. But not you, lovely Annabeth. And you, whatever you call yourself now _Here Chrysaor had looked directly at Penelope _you she specifically wanted to be taken to her place in Rome. What she wants with you know I have no idea. Family matters, I suppose.  
_The pirate had sneered, a sneer which had made Penelope's blood boil, yet she hadn't been able to do anything as her hands and feet had been tightly bound.  
Thankfully, Percy had managed to trick the pirates into leaving the Argo II, and given a tribute to Bacchus/ Mr D at the same time. Yet as they now sailed every closer to Rome, beating off monsters along the way, Penelope couldn't help but think back to what Chrysaor had said. Circe was in Rome, and she had wanted Penelope to be taken to her. Why? To kill her? But the pirate had said  
family matters. Was it possible Circe knew something about Penelope? It was a slim hope, and probably a stupid idea, but Pen's mind was made up. Now all that was left to do was convince the others to let her go.  
Sometime later, Annabeth appeared in her room. "We're there!" she said, her eyes shining with excitement but also, Pen noticed, fear.  
She got up and walked over to her friend, laying a hand on her arm. "You can do this." Pen said, and she meant it. If anyone could follow the Mark of Athena and find the Athena Parthenos, it was Annabeth Chase. The blonde girl smiled a little. "Thanks. You too."  
Penelope was a little taken aback at this, but then she remembered that this was a daughter of Athena she was talking to, the most intelligent girl at camp, who had probably realised what Pen's plan was before she'd even fully formed it herself. Penelope nodded, and together they walked up onto the deck.  
The view was simply amazing. Beneath them, Rome spread out for a what looked like a thousand miles, more beautiful and impressive than anything Penelope had ever seen.  
They touched down in a park, weird southern trees surrounding them, and talked through their plan.

Percy would accompany Annabeth to the Tiber, from where she would go on her epic solo quest on her own. Piper, Jason and Coach Hedge would guard the ship which left Leo, Hazel, Frank and Penelope to go looking for Nico di Angelo. But here, Penelope cleared her throat.  
"Er, guys?" she said, making the others look at her. "What is it?" Frank asked.  
"I think...I think I need to go look for Circe."  
This statement was followed by silence, before Percy and Leo started to protest.  
"No way! Just because Chrysaor said?!" Percy said indignantly, and Leo added "That's way too dangerous Pen."  
"I know it's dangerous, Leo." Penelope's voice sounded firmer now. "But Circe is a daughter of Hecate as well. She wanted to meet me. Maybe, maybe she'll be able to tell me why I'm here."  
No one could argue with this argument, though no one looked exactly happy at the prospect of letting another one of them go on a solo mission.  
Penelope tried to smile "I'll be back for three. That's when we meet here. Really, it'll be okay."  
"She should go" Annabeth backed her up, and Pen silently thanked her friend. This was going to be difficult enough anyway, without the others worrying themselves sick about not only Annabeth, but her as well.  
"Fine." Percy said, grudgingly. Penelope felt a twinge of guilt as she looked at his face. He was already facing the prospect of Annabeth going on a possibly fatal solo quest, and now he had another one of his friends to worry about. She could tell he didn't like it, but he would simply have to understand. As she looked at the son of Poseidon, she felt that weird connection between them flare up again. She hadn't felt it as intensely since the encounter with Talos, but now it was back, and made her uneasy. The truth was it made her feel like she shouldn't be leaving Percy's side, which was a weird feeling, but it was strong. Nevertheless, she had to go, had to find out about her reason to exist.  
The other matter was Leo. He wasn't meeting her eyes, and his face was set in a hard way, one she recognized he wore when he wanted to hide his emotions.  
The others started packing provisions and such, and before Leo could follow, Penelope took his hand.  
"Hey" she said, searching his face "I don't want to leave you guys alone. But do you understand why I have to do this?"  
"Yeah" Leo sighed to her surprise, the hardness in his face disappearing. "Yeah, I do. Doesn't mean I like it, though."  
Pen laughed, then kissed him. "I would be worried if you did." she said, then went to pack her own backpack. There really wasn't a lot to take, except some ambrosia, her stylet, and the Amazonite as a good luck charm. Before she left her room, on an impulse, she took the snake skin off her wall and stuffed that in the bag as well. Who knew if it might come in handy.  
Five minutes later they had all gathered on deck once again, and Percy and Annabeth were the first to leave. There weren't any long goodbyes, cause that would feel like setting a bad omen, but Penelope hugged both of them anyway. "Take care." she said, and watched them walk the plank and disappear into the streets of Rome.  
It was her next. All of the others wished her good luck, Jason reminded her not to forget their rendezvous point at three, and Leo pulled her into a hug, kissing her before she got off the ship.  
"See you soon." he whispered, worry in his chocolatey brown eyes.  
"You will."  
With that, she walked into the park, not looking back.  
After about fifteen minutes walking, Penelope arrived at a piazza (or whatever they called a square here in Italy) and stopped.  
Where to now? All around her, there were little restaurants and cafés, armies of pigeons and enough tourists to fill Camp Half-Blood. But sadly, there was no sign saying _This way to Circe's place folks!_.  
After a moment of helplessness, Penelope remembered something Chleo had told her in one of their first lessons. _A child of Hecate is never truly lost. Our mother is the goddess of crossroads, and we can almost always find our way. _Penelope wasn't sure that this would help, but she didn't really have any other option. So, right there in the middle of the piazza, she closed her eyes and tried to picture herself standing at a crossroads. The image came to her easily, so she next tried to imagine a light illuminating the way which would lead her to Circe. Come on, magic, she thought. Show me what you've got.

When she opened her eyes again, there was a faint glowing line on the ground before her, one only she seemed to be able to see. It had actually worked! A warm feeling spread inside Penelope, and she started to follow the glowing line with new gusto.  
After an hour of walking through the seemingly endless streets, that gusto had worn off however. Just as she was about to give up on her plan, the glowing line ended, and Penelope looked up to see that she was standing in front of an old Roman villa, made of dark grey stones with a poisonous green coloured door.  
_Well doesn't that look inviting _she thought drily and walked up onto the porch. There was no door bell, but Penelope was sure Circe already knew she was there.  
Sure enough, after only a few seconds, the door creaked open of its own accord and Penelope stepped into the gloom behind it.  
The inside of the villa was even more impressive than the outside, with a huge entrance hall lined with collums and draped in purple hangings, embroidered gold canapés, and a spiralling staircase in the middle of the room, dominating the scene.  
There was no one there, but Penelope had the feeling she was being watched. Cautiously, she stepped forward, and the door swung shut behind her, not the most comforting thing.  
"Hello?" she called, trying to keep the shaking out of her voice. It almost worked.  
At first, no one answered, but then a figure melted from the shadows. It was a young girl, her auburn hair in ringlets around her shoulder, wearing a deep purple robe embroidered with two golden C's and a falcon, Circe's mark. The girl didn't speak, but regarded Penelope without any sign of emotion. "Hi" Penelope said, unsure of what to do "Er, I am here to talk to Circe. Please."  
The girl showed no sign that she had understood what Penelope had said, but after another moment turned around and walked off into a dark corridor Penelope hadn't noticed before.  
Nervously she looked around, wondering how many other things were hiding in the shadows surrounding her.  
Suddenly, the girl was back, and motioned for Penelope to follow her, who did so with some trepidation.  
They walked down the corridor, turned left into another one and finally stopped before a set of  
bronze doors. Here, the girl nodded once at Pen, gave her what might have been a pitiful look and then melted back into the shadows, leaving her alone in front of the bronze doors.  
"Hey!" Penelope called after the girl. Was she supposed to enter the room on her own? Would Circe be waiting for her or was it a trap? Unsure what to do, Penelope contemplated simply returning to the entrance hall, but at that moment the double doors swung inwards, revealing a new, lighter room.  
In the middle of it on a cream carpet, was a simple coffee table, along with two silk armchairs.  
On one of them, wearing a beautiful purple silk dress, was a woman who radiated power so intense, that Penelope could almost see the magic coming of her in waves. Circe.  
She smiled when she saw Pen standing there, and beckoned for her to come in. Penelope did so, though she couldn't help noticing that Circe's smile did not reach her dark eyes.  
When she was inside the room, the doors swung shut again, locking her in.  
Before she could say or do anything, Circe rose and walked over to her, speaking in a clear, cold voice.  
"Penelope Rider. You have come at last." 


	44. Chapter 44: Revelation

**Thank you for the reviews! You people are so amazing!  
So we now know Penelope's last name...And if you read on,  
you will find out some more interesting stuff about her...*wink wink*  
Hope you enjoy, I don't own PJO/HoO! **

Chapter forty-four: Revelation  
~Penelope's POV~

Penelope's mind was reeling. What had Circe just called her? Penelope Rider? Was that her last name? She couldn't even form an answer, she was so shocked. Circe seemed to pick up on this and  
smiled another coldish smile. "I assume from your shocked expression you never knew your last name? Well, they probably didn't deem it important enough for you to use."  
Pen had no idea what Circe was talking about. After another minute of simply staring, she finally managed to bring out a complete sentence "What else do you know about me?"  
The sorceress gave a little laugh. Her whole demeanour, cold and a bit arrogant, reminded Pen of somebody. Chloe, she realised, only that her half-sister was much more humane.  
Circe contemplated Penelope before answering. "I thought you would come, even if the pirate scum didn't capture you."  
Penelope had now recovered enough to look into Circe's eyes. They were dark and mysterious, like a pair of bottomless pits. A feeling inside her told her not to take this situation too lightly. Like she was going to do that anyway.  
"Please, Circe." Penelope said, with more certainty"I need to know who I am."  
This seemed to amuse the witch, who chuckled and returned to the coffee table. "You want to know who you _are_, Penelope, do you? Well, that is very ambitious. Let me start by explaining what I know. Sit down." She motioned for Pen to sit down, who did, so they were now eye to eye.  
Circe, after another moment of contemplation said "You are the crown of our mother's creation. You're the supposed masterpiece." There was no jealousy or bitterness in her tone, only a cold pity.  
"I should be telling you nothing, really. But the shadows told me someone should, at least, help you a little" Circe paused, but Penelope didn't interrupt.  
The sorceress continued, pouring herself a cup of purple tea from a tea pot which had appeared out of nowhere.  
"The reason you exist..." Circe whispered, and Penelope's heartbeat picked up. Was this finally the moment she had been waiting for ever since arriving at the shore of Camp Half-Blood? Did she really want to find out? With baited breath, she listened to what Circe said next.  
"Thousands of years ago, the ancient oracle issued two great prophecies, both playing a vital part in  
the history of our world, and both at least partly concerning the same demigod. The first one told of  
the choice he would make at the age of sixteen, deciding the fate of Olympus for the first time."  
Penelope had a feeling she knew which demigod Circe was talking about, yet she kept quiet, listening.  
"The second prophecy spoke of the great quest of the seven, one of them being that demigod, which would lead the heroes on a journey to save the world from the earth itself. And all deemed they would succeed, until a third prophecy was spoken. This prophecy was issued by a son of Apollo, and told of a curse, a curse powerful enough to change the course of the world."  
Circe stopped talking, and Penelope sat still for a moment, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, Pen said "And what did the prophecy say exactly?"  
But the witch shook her head. "I will not speak it. And I will not have it read here, in my palace.  
Take this, and read it, if you get the chance."  
Silver flames suddenly erupted on the coffee table, dying after only a second and leaving a black scroll behind. Penelope stretched her hand out towards it. It was ice cold, and when she tried to  
unravel it, it wouldn't move.  
"You can not read it here" Circe explained calmly. Penelope cautiously put the scroll in her bag.  
"Know this, sister" the sorceress spoke again, and suddenly her voice was as hard and cold as granite. "All three prophecies concern the same demigod. You know him, you call him your friend." "Percy." Penelope whispered, and an inexplicable fear gripped her. Circe's eyes glinted.  
"Yes" she hissed "Perseus Jackson. I have had the _pleasure _of meeting him before you know. He  
and his faithful friend Annabeth Chase destroyed my last home, let a band of pirates lose on my  
family."  
The fear was paralysing, and Penelope couldn't move an inch.  
The aura of the woman in front of her seemed to pulse with power, dark purple smoke gathering around her feet.  
"And you see" she continued, as quiet as a snake "I have never forgiven Percy Jackson. So I'm afraid that I cannot allow you to return to his side. I will not have the little brat saved."  
What? Was Percy in danger? Pen's mind was reeling as she tried to brake through the body-freeze  
spell Circe was obviously casting. It took immense will-power, but she managed to speak.  
"Why would you kill me?"  
Circe laughedand pointed at Penelope's neck. "Such a beautiful necklace. A symbol, no doubt, of the alliance between our mother and...him. That is the reason you may not live, Penelope Rider.  
No one can give it but yourself. But I can still kill you."  
The sorceress sprang to her feet, and Penelope strained against her bounds.  
_Come on _she thought _I can fight this.  
_Her legs twitched, and she felt her arms lift an inch or so. Circe had taken out a wicked looking  
dagger, turning it lovingly in her hands.  
"What's that?" Penelope spat at her, nodding at the dagger.  
"This? Oh, this is-" but the moment that Circe's attention wasn't focused on her was all Penelope needed. She jumped up and threw herself at Circe, knocking her to the ground.  
Quickly she snatched up her bag and sprinted to the door.  
"Curse you!" Circe cried from behind her, and instinctively, Penelope ducked. The dagger whizzed  
over her head, and lodged itself in the door.  
"Bye!" Penelope cried and crashed through into the hallway, running faster than she'd ever run in her life. There was no time to think about what had just happened, no time to make a plan.  
All she could do was sprint out into the entrance hall, praying that no creature would attack her, that the door wouldn't be locked.  
The hall seemed empty, but already she could hear Circe's shrieks of "Stop her!" echoing all around the mansion.  
Penelope ran to the door, grabbed the handle and found it locked. No, no no! Concentrating with all her might, she summoned her purple and blue flames, willing them to flow into the door and melt  
the locks completely.  
To her surprise, the door caught fire instantly, and she was able to kick it open and run outside.  
Without thinking about which way to go, Penelope ran down the street, knocking over a merchant and a middle-aged lady, but not daring to stop.  
Her heart raced in her throat, as she tore through the streets of Rome, as far away from her half-sister as possible.  
By a random chance, she came to the piazza from where she'd started her journey and here she allowed herself to stop and catch her breath.  
_Okay_, she thought, taking deep steadying gulps of air. _Circe just tried to kill you, because of something concerning Percy and some weird prophecy._ The prophecy!  
Fumbling, she brought out the black scroll and was now able to unroll it.  
The parchment was black inside as well, and on it was a text written in celestial bronze coloured ink.  
_To keep the greatest hero of all  
from reaching the power to make the world fall  
the fates shall withdraw it when facing death  
and thus bring forth his final breath  
Without the spirit resting nigh'  
the hero's sacrifice will make the hero die  
_Penelope sucked in a sharp breath. What did the prophecy mean? It spoke of the death of a hero,  
and Circe had said all the prophecies concerned Percy. Could this mean Percy would die? No, that seemed to terrible to imagine. But what did it have to do with her? She felt like she was looking at a huge puzzle, and there was only one piece missing to complete the picture, but that piece was vital. Yet no matter how much she thought, she couldn't make sense of it. The prophecy in itself was awful enough though.  
Penelope pocketed the scroll again and turned to walk back to the Argo II and inform the others of what she had learned. But before she had taken two steps, a sharp pain flared around her neck, making her gasp.  
Confused, Penelope grabbed her throat, and found that her necklace was glowing, painfully hot to the touch. A moment later it had stopped again, and left Penelope with a feeling of dread.  
Without knowing how she knew, Penelope realised what this meant.  
Somebody was in terrible danger, and she had to go help.

**Uh-oh, trouble ahead. Can you figure out what the prophecy means and what Penelope's role is in this?  
You'll find out soon, so keep your eyes open for the next update! **


	45. Chapter 45: Double Trouble

**Yey update!  
Thanks for all the lovely reviews!  
I didn't go into a lot of detail concerning the battle in this chapter, as that was**

**properly described in the Mark of Athena, and I didn't want to simply  
write that down.  
But don't get me wrong, this chapter is **_**extremely **_**important, especially for Penelope.  
What will happen you ask? Well, read on and you'll find out ;)  
I don't own PJO/HoO  
Enjoy! **

Chapter forty-five: Double Trouble  
~Penelope's POV~

The glowing line pulled her as far the old Forum, where it stopped, just before a modern iron gate with a padlock that had been broken open. However, there was nothing else there.  
Penelope looked around, confused. Neither Percy, Piper nor any of the others were here. Yet she was sure she was in the right place, almost as if she could _feel _Percy's presence in the air, a salty, ocean-like mist. It was extremely weird, but she had other things to focus upon.  
Again, she looked around, and then to the line on the floor. Mhm, it seemed to glow brighter where  
it stopped. Almost as if... as if it went _underground_. Holding her breath, Penelope crouched down and touched the floor. Sure enough, she sensed the presence of a room underneath, but it was shielded with Mist. Luckily, her mother controlled the Mist, so there might be a way through.  
"Please, mother" Pen whispered, pressing her hand to the cold stone floor. "Please let me get through this barrier and follow Percy."  
For a moment nothing happened, and Penelope's heart sank. But then, like a trapdoor, the ground suddenly disappeared from underneath her and she fell downwards, flailing wildly through the dank air until she hit the ground with a thump.  
When the stars had cleared from her eyes, she looked back up and saw an odd little room between this level and the open hole through which she had fallen. A tunnel stretched ahead of her, and without further hesitation, she snuck along it, taking out her stylet as a precaution. It glowed faintly bronze, and offered some light, which made her feel better.  
Slowly, she crawled along the tunnel, which was actually a drainage pipe, until it opened into a larger tunnel. And there, a maybe two hundred feet ahead of her were Piper, Percy and Jason, walking cautiously along.  
Quickly, she caught up with them, the sound of her feet echoing in the dark space. When they heard the footsteps, the three whipped around, weapons at the ready.  
Thankfully, they realised it was her before either Percy or Jason could skewer her with their swords.  
"Pen!" Piper cried, hugging her. "How did you find us?"  
But Penelope was busy looking at Percy, trying to spot a threat.  
"What... happened?" she panted, out of breath after all her running. "I had... this feeling...danger"  
Percy raised his eyebrows in surprise, but Jason answered first "We were almost drowned by some crazy old nymphs."  
"What?!"  
"Long story" Percy said, capping Riptide again. "How did you know we were in trouble though?"  
Penelope hesitated. In retrospect, her premonition sounded pretty crazy. But then again, crazy was normal in a demigod's life, and these were her friends.  
"I got this feeling, so I conjured up a search line and followed it to the old Forum, where my mum helped me fall through the floor and now I'm here."  
She knew that wasn't really a good explanation, but they had other things to do.  
"Where are Leo, Hazel and Frank?" she asked, looking around as if they might be hiding in the corner.  
"No idea" Piper said gravely. "But we have to find Nico. He's...he doesn't have a lot of time."

Penelope nodded, and they all continued to creep along the passage.  
What they found at the end was not a pretty sight.  
A parking-garage-type area that was filled with machines, props, animals and monsters, a selection of weapons and, most importantly, the bronze jar where Nico di Angelo was being held prisoner.  
"This is too easy" Piper whispered, but they all knew they had no choice.  
So, carefully, they picked their way across the room, trying not to attract the monsters attention too much. Thankfully, the hellhounds and other monsters were kept in cages or hamster-type wheels, so they couldn't really have attacked them.  
Suddenly, just before they reached the jar, two platforms started to sink down from the ceiling, and each one was occupied with an enormous giant. The twins.  
What happened next was all a blur to Penelope: Percy and Jason started to fight Otis and Ephialtes, while Piper and herself tried to get to the bronze jar.  
When they did, it took a while to tip it over and get Nico out.  
Penelope sucked in a breath. She'd never met the son of Hades before, but he was limp and deathly pale, like a corpse.  
_He'll be okay_, she tried to tell herself. _He has to, for Hazel. _  
The girls managed to get Nico more or less out of the way, but when they turned around to help Jason and Percy, they saw that the boys were in trouble.  
"You go!" Piper called "You're more powerful than me"  
Penelope started to protest, but Piper just waved her off "Go!"  
Reluctantly, Penelope dashed forward, calling for her flames in her right hand, her dagger clutched in the other.  
"Jason, watch out!" she yelled, as a clump of stone suddenly dropped from the ceiling. Jason barely managed to jump out of the way.  
Penelope turned to face the giants, which were now both battling Percy.  
She aimed at the dumber one, Otis, and her fire caught him full in the chest.  
"OW!" he roared, whirling around to her, his spear raised and aimed straight at her heart. "Who are you?!" he cried, blundering forwards.  
"Your worst nightmare" she smiled, and turned on the spot. It was as if something was possessing her. She knew, instinctively, what to do, how to twist the air around her, so that one moment she was standing right in front of Otis, and the next she was on top of his shoulder, driving her dagger into his ear.  
The giant roared in pain, and before she could dodge it, he caught her in one hand and slammed her onto the ground. Stars danced again in front of Penelope's eyes, but her new found strength was still there. Her dagger was now sticking in the giants head, so she held out her hand and made a claw with her fingers, willing a new weapon to appear. A second later, she was holding a short sword, which was perfectly balanced. With a grin, she charged at the giant, evading his spear, and jabbed his leg. "Ngaahr" Otis cried, hopping around on one foot. "You will pay!"  
"Yeah, sure" Penelope said, stopping to sneer at Otis. This turned out to be a big mistake.  
Suddenly something knocked into her from behind, making her fall face first onto the floor.  
She must have blacked out for a second, because the next thing she knew, she was dangling from the fist of the other giant, Ephialtes, who leered at her, while he dodged Jason's sword strokes.  
"A child of Hecate." Ephialtes laughed wickedly. He was much scarier than his brother. "Gaia did not know about you. But no matter, no matter, we will kill you for her!"  
Both of the giants laughed, and Penelope knew she was done for. She tried twisting into thin air again, but this time it wouldn't work. Great time for her new skill to leave her, she barely had time to think, before suddenly, the whole situation changed.  
There was a flash of light and there, in white socks and a broad-rimmed hat, stood the god Bacchus, smirking as he surveyed the giants.  
Penelope was still a little dazed from her encounter with the floor, so she didn't really catch what the god said next, but suddenly, she felt the giants hand release her.  
For a moment she thought she was going to fall, but the next thing she knew, the whole scenery had changed. She was sitting in the emperor's box in the Colosseum, staring down at the two giants and Percy and Jason, who were all standing in the arena, ready to fight.  
"Impress me, heroes of Olympus!" the god Bacchus called.  
Penelope was too stunned by it all to properly pay attention. A nymph in a nurse's uniform offered her some ambrosia, which she accepted gratefully, and then all she and Piper could do was watch in terror as the boys battled the giants.  
It was a spectacular and terrifying fight. Percy and Jason worked together, and they radiated a power so immense, Penelope could almost feel herself being overwhelmed. The giants stood no chance.  
While they were observing the spectacle, Nico, who had regained consciousness, suddenly turned to Penelope.  
"You're..the lost one?" he croaked, his voice hoarse and pained.  
"Yes." she told him, wondering why he was asking.  
"There's something you should know" Nico said, his black eyes unreadable. "I...while I was in trance...I heard stuff...prophecy."  
His voice was so strained, Penelope almost told him to lie back down, but what he was saying  
caught her attention.  
"What prophecy?" she whispered, glancing at Piper, who was too observed in watching the boys fight to listen.  
"The second part of the prophecy of the seven..." Nico croaked, and Penelope's heart stopped.  
That was the part of the prophecy which concerned her.  
"What do you know?" she asked Nico, who closed his eyes for a second, maybe out of tiredness, maybe because he couldn't look her in the eye.  
"Listen." he whispered, and Penelope leaned in.  
When Nico had finished telling her the rest of the prophecy, she simply sat there, absolutely in shock. This was the missing puzzle piece, she realised. This was her fate.  
Suddenly, everything made sense: What Aphrodite had told her, Circe's words and the curse, even what Mormo had said back in New York, and Ephialtes' words just now.  
It all fitted together, her appearance at Camp Half-Blood, the amnesia and the strange colour of her claim mark. She couldn't believe it.  
An odd calm settled onto her, even though she should have been terrified. But somehow, finally knowing her fate made it easier to accept.  
"When?" she asked Nico, who was almost unconscious again. "Soon." he whispered, and a little jolt went through Penelope.  
Leo, she realised. She had to tell Leo.  
And, right on cue, just as the god Bacchus finally helped Percy and Jason kill the giants, the Argo II flew into the arena, glinting underneath the Roman Sun.  
They all managed to get onto the ship, Jason flying Nico ahead.  
When Penelope had finally clambered on, that strange calm still filling her limbs, the first thing she saw was Leo, looking slightly worse for wear, but grinning broadly as he spotted her.  
Without hesitation, she flung herself into his arms, which he held open wide, and for that moment  
nothing else mattered except that they were together.  
She knew that she should tell him, and soon, if Nico's words were true. But right now she couldn't bring herself to ruin this moment, and so all she did was hold onto him tightly, as if her life depended on it.  
And maybe it did.


	46. Chapter 46: A Fate Fulfilled

**A/N at the end of the chapter.  
I don't own PJO/HoO **

Chapter forty-six: A Fate Fulfilled  
~Leo's POV~

Leo had decided that Rome was not going on his top ten favourite vacation spots list.  
First, Hazel, Frank and himself had been trapped and almost killed _again _by Eidolons, making Leo have to break open that damned fortune cookie in order to use the Archimedes sphere. Every time he thought of the sacrifice he would have to pay, his hands trembled.  
But no, that hadn't been enough bad luck for one day! After barely escaping Gaia's clutches, and rescuing the others from the Colosseum, the freaking ship had to stop working.  
Leo had no idea how it had happened, but they'd barely flown out of the arena, when Festus' lights had shut down, the oars had stopped moving and the engine room ground slowly to a halt.  
He'd barely managed to crash land in a nearby park, luckily not hitting any tourists in the process.  
And now here they were, broken down, with Annabeth still missing, an unconscious Nico di Angelo

on their hands and no idea why their only method of transportation had broken.  
Leo was furious and scared, though he didn't want to admit that to the others. The truth was, only  
something powerfully magical could have had this effect on the Argo II, and Leo really didn't want to find out what it was.  
The others all had panicked looks on their faces as well, all except Nico, who was asleep, and Penelope, who seemed oddly calm.  
"It's no use!" Leo cried, kicking the engine in frustration. "It won't work."  
"We have to get Annabeth!" Percy said, his voice shaking. Leo felt really sorry for him, but there was simply nothing they could do.  
"We'll have to go on foot. We can walk through the park and then get a cab" Jason said, trying to be reasonable. Piper seemed distraught, but nodded and Frank gripped his bow in a resolute way.  
Only Hazel hesitated, looking anxiously at the Roman skyline.  
"I should stay with Nico" she said "make sure he's well."  
"You can't stay here on your own!" Frank immediately argued, but Hazel laid a calming hand on his arm.  
"Coach Hedge will stay with me. Won't you, Coach?"  
The satyr looked a little crestfallen at missing the "fun" yet again, but nodded anyway.  
"Okay. We'll come back when we've...gotten Annabeth" Percy said, obviously itching to get going.  
Leo noticed that the air around Percy seemed oddly humid, as if a storm were brewing where he was standing. _He's getting more powerful _Leo realised. Percy was projecting his feelings outwards without even realising it, which was kinda impressive, but also scary as hell.  
Leo could only hope Percy would never direct that at him.  
"Right. Let's go." Leo said, and Frank, Piper, Jason, Percy, himself and Penelope set off into the park.  
"Leo?" Penelope said, catching up with him. Her face had a very odd look about it, the same calm from before, as if she knew something that nobody else did.  
"Hey. You okay?" he asked, and Pen smiled. Was it his imagination or was there another emotion hiding behind the smile. Sadness?  
"I'm okay." she said, earnestly. "Listen, there's something you should know..." her voice trailed off and Leo got the feeling she was trying to say something really important.  
"What is it?" he asked, searching Penelope's face for a hint of what she was about to tell him.  
"I...I found out some stuff. When I went to talk to Circe." Leo slapped his forehead. He'd completely forgotten to ask Pen about her encounter with the witch, he'd been so focused on everything else.  
Pen smiled, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking "Hey, don't worry about it."  
"Okay. Sorry. Tell me everything."  
"Well, Circe told me about two prophecies, that were made ages ago. And all of them concern Percy."  
Leo wondered where she was going with this. He knew of the two prophecies, they were common  
stories at camp. "Yes?"  
"She told me about a third prophecy that was made. About a curse." Penelope's voice shook, an infinitesimal amount.  
"What curse?" Leo asked, his gut twisting. He didn't like curses, not one bit.  
"Here" Penelope handed him a black scroll. "Read this. Not now, later." she said when Leo made to open it. "There's no time now."  
What was she getting at? Leo was now sure he could see sadness in her face, but also determination.

The expression scared him like hell.  
"What are you trying to say, Pen?"  
She met his gaze, and her bright turquoise eyes seemed to penetrate him like always.  
"Circe said that this was the reason for my existence. I didn't understand, but she said something about my necklace being a symbol of an alliance between my mother and another god. And then,  
while Percy and Jason were fighting the giants" here she paused, drawing a little breath.  
All of a sudden, Leo felt like he didn't want to hear the rest. He didn't want to know what Penelope had discovered. But she was already continuing, her tone steady and quiet.  
"Nico heard the rest of the second Great Prophecy. The part concerning me."  
This surprised Leo. He'd often wondered about the rest of that prophecy, and how it would affect  
them. But now he was about to hear it, he wasn't so sure he wanted to. Yet he knew that this was  
important, that he had to listen to Pen, for her sake.  
"What did it say?"  
Penelope opened her mouth to answer, but before she could speak another word, the whole world turned dark.  
"What the-" Leo said, turning his head to look for the others up front. What he saw made his blood freeze in his veins.  
There, before them, was a man, but he was unlike any man Leo had ever seen. His skin was pure  
black, laced with veins of fiery orange. He wore a hood, and linen trousers, but his chest was bare.  
In one hand he carried a whip, in the other a blade, curved like a crescent moon.  
His eyes were completely white, like milk, but with a blueish tinge that made Leo's skin crawl.  
The darkness around them was radiating off this man, or spirit or whatever, in thick curly waves.  
They seemed to suck all light, all happiness from their surroundings, leaving only doom and depression. Leo could feel hope leaving him, draining out like water through a leak. His life was meaningless. His death was inevitable. _ Stop_, he told himself. _Those aren't your thoughts!_  
He tried to fight of the wisps of smoke curling around his ankles, rooting him to the spot, but it was no use. His brain went foggy, but he could still see Piper, Jason and Frank also fighting the smoky ropes.  
"Leo!" Penelope whispered, and her clear voice cut through the darkness like fire. The horrible feeling cleared from his head a little, and he looked at Penelope, who was standing at his side, her face not fearful, but set with determination.  
She met his gaze, her eyes shining like beacons of hope, and before he could say anything, she pulled him to her and kissed him. It wasn't a good kiss. It was the way you kiss people when you're saying goodbye.  
"Pen, what-"  
But suddenly the man before them spoke, his voice echoing like a thousand dying moans.  
_You have fought valiantly, heroes. _it said, and Leo realised that the spirit wasn't moving his mouth.  
_But now the journey ends for one of you. Step forward, Percy Jackson.  
_What? Leo didn't understand anything anymore. What did the man mean, the journey ended here?  
Before him, a figure stepped in front of the hooded spirit, a figure with black hair and a bronze blade in his hand. Percy! Leo tried to shout for Percy to run, but his voice was drowned in the thick black air around them.  
What was going on?  
"Who are you and what do you want from us?" Percy's voice suddenly cut through the mist.  
_I am Moros, hero. I have come to drive you to your fate. Your time has come.  
_Dimly, Leo could see Percy holding out his hand, and Leo knew he was about to conjure a hurricane. He braced himself for the force, yet nothing happened.  
Instead of fighting the guy calling himself Moros, Percy suddenly sank to his knees, clutching his side. "What...what are you doing?" he called, as Riptide fell from his grasp.  
Moros laughed, and it echoed a thousand times around them, cold and void of pity.  
_It is not me withdrawing your powers, Percy Jackson. That is the doing of my sisters, the Moirai. Or, as you call them, the Fates.  
_Percy had staggered back to his feet, his sword in his hand again. "What do you mean, the Fates are withdrawing my power?" He asked, and took a swipe at Moros. But the blade cut straight through him, as if he was as solid as the mist he generated.  
_You cannot hurt me with a blade, hero. My only weakness is your strength, but that won't help you now. Die, Percy Jackson, succumb to the curse of the Fates.  
_Moros stretched his hand out, and Percy yelled in pain.  
Leo felt helpless, he couldn't move, he couldn't fight this dark mist. Percy was about to die and there was nothing he could do about it.  
Suddenly, there was a yell from somewhere to Percy's right, and Leo saw Penelope charge at Moros, her hands alight with purple flames.  
For a moment Leo thought she would succeed, but Moros made a flicking motion with his hand and a spike, made of the black smoke, shot straight at Penelope, hitting her square in the chest.  
"No!" Leo yelled, his voice stronger. He watched as Penelope sank to the floor, but to his relief her eyes were still open.  
_I do not know who you are, foolish girl. _Moros said, an evil smile on his face _but your attempts will fail. I only came for the Jackson boy, but perhaps I shall drive you to your doom as well.  
_Leo watched in terror as Moros raised his hand, and a black sword appeared in it. It was wickedly sharp and glinted like ink. He raised it high above his head, but then hesitated, unsure whom to kill first. And that's when it all happened too quickly.  
Leo saw Penelope grab her throat, and for a moment he thought she was suffocating, but the next second he realised she had wrenched her necklace from her neck.  
"Percy!" she yelled, and threw the necklace at the son of Poseidon, who caught it in one hand.  
"What?" he said, weakly, confusion obvious on his face.  
"I give it to you freely, so you may draw strength from it!" Penelope shouted, and Leo could hear tears in her voice. What was she saying, and why was she speaking in that weird, medieval way?  
For a moment Percy didn't seem to know what to do either, but then his expression changed.  
The necklace began to glow, and transform and Percy stood up, a glowing ball of water in his hand,  
radiating the power of the sea. Without hesitation, he aimed at Moros and sent it straight at the demon's heart, yelling something Leo couldn't understand, but which made his whole body vibrate anyway.  
_What?! No! Impossible! _Moros cried in astonishment, before vanishing in a shower of black dust.  
Instantly, Leo felt his body break free, and he was able to move again.  
Without thinking of anything else, he ran over to where Penelope was now lying.  
He sank down onto the ground next to her, grabbing her shoulders.  
"Pen! Can you hear me?!" Leo shouted, tears coming to his eyes. He didn't know what had happened, but a dreadful feeling spread inside him. Penelope's eyes were closed, and her skin seemed oddly white, almost glowing.  
"Wake up" Leo cried, shaking her shoulders. "Wake up"  
Slowly, she opened her eyes. They focused on Leo's face, and her lips turned into a smile.  
"Leo." she whispered, but her voice was faint.  
"What...what's happening to you?" Leo asked, fear making his voice shake.  
"This is my destiny, Leo." Pen said, and she sounded a thousand years old. "I was never supposed to be alive. I was only created as a resource, a backup. And now it's gone.."  
Leo couldn't grasp what she was saying. He couldn't accept what he knew was about to happen.  
"No, no, that's not right. Of course you are supposed to be alive. We _need _you. _I _need you."  
Penelope smiled again, and a single tear ran down her cheek. She lifted her hand to Leo's face, and touched his cheek, but her skin wasn't as warm or as solid as it usually was.  
"They were wrong." she whispered.  
"Who?" Leo asked his own voice barely audible, chocked with fear.  
"Everybody. They thought Percy was the reason I am alive. But I know that's not true. Not anymore."  
_Please, don't talk like that. Please don't.  
_"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Leo Valdez."  
Her eyes closed, and Leo cried out "No!", grasping at her, to no avail.  
Penelope's body had started to grow faint, her whole being becoming see-through, fading away. "No, Pen! Stay here! You have to stay here!"  
He tried to hold onto her, but his hands went straight through her body.  
The last thing he saw of her was her face, brimmed with dark hair, a smile playing around her lips.  
"I love you" she whispered, before there was a soft flash of light and the ground before him was empty.  
Leo sat there, tears cascading down his face, not responding to the others, who were standing around him. There was no way he could get up, or face the world.  
He would never move again.  
Penelope was dead.  
Leo was alone.

****

Okay, so before you kill me, let me say this was really  
sad for me to write as well.  
I mean, Penelope's my OC, my baby.  
The next chapter will explain everything if you haven't understood it yet.  
I hope that, even though this was a very sad chapter, you enjoyed reading it.  
Please tell me what you think!  
And "The Light in the Sky" isn't finished yet, so keep a look out for  
the next update!  
Love you all xxx


	47. Chapter 47: A Life Explained

**Okay, so I know this is kinda depressing at the moment,  
but I swear next chapter will be better!  
Just hang on in there with me.  
And I'm really sorry about what happened to Penelope, but it was  
important for the story, and I hope you can understand!  
IDOA **

Chapter forty-seven: A Life Explained  
~Leo's POV~

After what felt like days, but which was probably only a few minutes, Leo felt a firm hand on his  
shoulder. He looked up to see Jason, whose face was sad yet composed, kneeling next to him.  
"Leo." he said, his voice low and firm "We have to get going. We have to help Annabeth. It's what...  
it's what Pen would have wanted us to do."  
Leo felt hollow, as if his whole life had been sucked out of him. He couldn't get rid of the image of  
Penelope, disappearing into nothingness, leaving him here alone. But he knew that Jason was right.  
Annabeth still needed their help, and Leo would be damned if he let anybody else get hurt today.  
Silently, he let Jason pull him up, but just as they were about to continue walking towards the street,

they heard a cry behind them: "Guys! Guys wait up! The ship's working again!"  
Leo turned around to see Hazel jogging towards them, her hair flying behind her.  
"What?" Piper asked, tears still glistening in her eyes.  
"The ship.." Hazel panted "The engine, Festus, everything, it's turned back on! Coach Hedge's coming now!" Hazel looked at them all happily, until she seemed to notice that none of them were  
smiling. "What...what's happened?" she asked, fear in her voice. Then she looked around "Wait, where's Pen?" confusion and fear mixed on her face, making the smile slide off.  
Nobody answered. Leo could feel Piper shaking with sobs next to him, and Percy staring into the distance, his face white with shock.  
It was Frank who answered, speaking quietly and taking Hazel's hand. "Hazel, listen. We met this...this weird spirit man, who called himself Moros. He tried to kill Percy, and made his powers go away. And then" Frank drew a breath "and then Penelope, she stopped him somehow, but it...it was too much. She's gone" the big guy's voice broke, and Leo, through the numbness, felt a twinge  
of sympathy for Frank, who sounded incredibly sad even though he'd never had that much to do with Pen.  
Hazel simply looked at them, until her eyes started to glisten "No. No Frank, that can't be right. If she's gone, where's the-" Hazel stopped herself just in time, with a frightful glance at Leo. But he knew what she had been about to say. If Penelope was dead, where was the body?  
It was Piper who answered "It disappeared. I've heard of that happening before. Sometimes, the gods recall a hero's body, why I don't know." she choked and Jason put an arm around her.  
Just then a rope ladder dropped down next to them and Leo looked up to see the Argo II sparkling in the sunshine. They climbed up, one after the other.  
When they were aboard, Jason took Coach Hedge to the side, probably to explain what had happened. The satyr didn't cry, but Leo knew he was upset, as he swung his bat repeatedly against  
the railing, cursing.  
"Leo." he heard a voice behind him, and he turned around to see Percy, still white in the face, standing there. They shared a look of understanding, and Leo walked to the helm, Percy telling him  
where to go. Then, for a moment, Percy put his hand on Leo's arm. "I'm so sorry" he whispered  
"But maybe she's not dead. Maybe Piper was wrong, and she disappeared for a different reason."  
The words were meant well, yet Leo tried not to hear them. Hope was the last thing he could use right now, hope would only make it worse. But of course they did float into Leo's mind, and an idea  
came to him, a way to check if Penelope was really dead.  
"Take this" he told Percy, giving him the controls, his voice hoarse.  
"Where're you going?" Percy wanted to know, but Leo was already half way down the stairs.  
He ran to Penelope's room, his heart thumping painfully fast in his chest. For a moment he paused  
in front of the door, praying to every god and goddess he knew. _Please. Please don't let it be there.  
_Then he pushed open the door, stumbled in and saw...a purple shroud lying on the bed. Ironically, it was a beautiful thing, rich purple satin with twin torches of gold embroidered on it, their flames woven from different shades of blue and green so that they looked almost real.  
Seeing the shroud was like a punch in the gut. Leo sank to his knees, staring at the cloth, a memory  
surfacing in his mind.  
_"The odd thing with Sam was, they never found her body, or found out how she died."  
"Then how do they know she did?" Leo asked.  
Penelope looked at him. "Her permanent enchantments stopped working. One day, every spell she'd ever cast just ceased and a purple shroud appeared on her bed. Chleo said that was a definite sign that Sam had died."  
_Penelope's death was eerily similar to Sam's. And Pen had said that if a shroud appeared on the bed,  
it was a definite sign.  
Leo's last hope had been crushed, and he felt new pain inside him. He wasn't sure how much more he could handle. He definitely couldn't be here now, the room reminded him too much of Penelope, so he closed the door and was just about to walk up on deck when there was a huge BOOM.  
Running, Leo came up on deck and saw they had stopped over a parking lot. Or rather, what used to be a parking lot. Now there was a gaping hole in it, with Italian cars tumbling into the darkness.  
Coach Hedge was at the ballistae, and about to fire again when Piper stopped him. "I think that's enough, Coach."  
Leo walked over to the wheel and started to steer the ship into the hole. What the people on the ground saw he had no idea, but frankly, he didn't care.  
Finally they arrived in a huge cavern, held together by weird threads of fabric. There, on the ground, between rubble and cars, was Annabeth, looking pretty worse for wear and standing in front of a huge statue, the Athena Parthenos.  
It was amazing, and Leo was glad Annabeth was okay, but he couldn't bring himself to smile, or feel any proper glee. Everything just seemed so pointless with Penelope gone.  
They all got off, and joined Annabeth in the cavern, even Nico di Angelo. Percy immediately wrapped his arms around Annabeth, who was sobbing, but managed to tell them her story more or less. When she'd finished, she looked at them properly and her brow furrowed.  
_Here we go again _Leo thought sadly.  
"Where's Penelope?" Annabeth asked. Percy tightened his grip on her, and quietly said "She's gone,  
Annabeth."  
Annabeth shook her head. "What do you mean gone? She's lost?"  
"No" Leo suddenly spoke up, and he could feel all eyes on him. "She's dead."  
Annabeth gasped, her eyes wide in horror. "B...but she can't be!" she cried, looking up at the ship, as if Pen would suddenly swing down, crying "You just got punk'd!"  
"I found her shroud" Leo whispered, and he heard a sob, probably from Piper. Annabeth swayed, and Percy steadied her. "Dead." she whispered "But how?"  
They told Annabeth what had happened, and for a moment she didn't say anything.  
"It doesn't make sense!" Percy suddenly said, his face full of anguish. "Why did giving me her necklace kill her?"  
But it _did _make sense, Leo thought. He met Annabeth's gaze and understanding passed between them. Slowly, Annabeth opened her mouth. "There just one thing I don't understand." she mumbled,

making the others look at her in confusion. Leo, however, got out the little black scroll Pen had given him and held it out to Annabeth, who read it, and closed her eyes, understanding and hurt plain in her face.  
"What?" Percy asked.  
Leo knew he had to answer. Taking a deep breath, he began:  
"You all know that Penelope arrived at Camp Half-Blood with no memories whatsoever of her life  
before right?" They all nodded.  
"Well," Leo continued, trying to keep his voice steady. "Pen couldn't remember anything because there was nothing _to _remember. Camp Half-Blood was the first time she ever lived. "  
"What?!" several voices said. Leo closed his eyes.  
"Annabeth? Can you read them the prophecy?"  
"Yes... _To keep the greatest hero of all  
from reaching the power to make the world fall  
the fates shall withdraw it when facing death  
and thus bring forth his final breath  
Without the spirit resting nigh'  
the hero's sacrifice will make the hero die." _  
Silence followed these words, and Leo found it difficult to speak. Thankfully, Annabeth did it for him. "The hero the Fates cursed is Percy. They feared he would become too powerful, so they withdrew his powers when he was facing Moros, who is an ancient force that drives people to their fatal destiny. That's why it says _facing death. _But if Percy died, we all wouldn't stand a chance against Gaia, and Hera knew this. So she must have asked Hecate, the goddess of magic, to create a  
way to give Percy back his power, but the problem is that they couldn't have used a normal hero, as  
the Fates would have known about him. All those monsters that didn't recognize Pen, that was because she should never have existed. Hera and Hecate went against the Fates themselves by creating her. But they did anyway, and my guess is that Poseidon gave Pen his blessing somehow,  
so she would be a resource for Percy's power. Leo?"  
Leo nodded, his eyes still closed. "Pen told me Circe said her necklace was a symbol for the alliance between Hecate and another god, probably Poseidon. That's why her claim mark was blue, and not purple. It had to represent a little of her other godly side as well."  
"So what you're saying" Percy said, slowly "is that Penelope sacrificed herself to keep me alive?"  
His voice was full of horror, and Annabeth tried to calm him "She did it to save all of us, Seaweed Brain. My guess is that only she could have taken that necklace off, that this was how Hera and Hecate wanted to protect the power. It wouldn't have worked any other way. The power that Penelope gave up wasn't just control over water. It was pure life energy, and that kind of energy could only be guarded by a living thing."  
Nobody spoke. They were all too shocked to utter a single word.  
After a minute, Piper whispered "So Pen knew all of this?"  
Leo opened his eyes again. He was sure Penelope had known this, but not for long before she died. This was what she'd been trying to tell him, before Moros had appeared.  
He was about to answer Piper when Nico di Angelo stepped forward, looking pale and sombre.  
"Yes, she did."  
Everyone stared at him "How do you know that?" Frank asked, disbelieving. Nico had only been with them for a few hours.  
"I told her the rest of the prophecy." Nico said quietly, and Leo's eyes widened.  
"Tell us." he said and Nico obliged.  
"The second part of the second Great Prophecy. I heard it in a dream, while I was in that jar. It said:  
_The lost one shall join the seven  
a child of the light in heaven  
Although the source of mighty power,  
before the goddess she will cower.  
And in time will gladly die, _

_as in the arms of fire she will lie."  
_This explained it all, Leo thought, and he realised all the others understood as well. Penelope had sacrificed herself willingly, had _gladly died,_ so they could stop Gaia and save the world. She'd been used by the gods more than any of them, and still she helped. Leo felt like he'd had his heart removed. There was no way his life could get any worse. Sadly, as so often lately, he was wrong.


	48. Chapter 48: The Darkest of Times

**I'm sorry for making you go through this, my friends.  
Your reviews are killing me. And I'm killing you. So I guess were even, haha.  
No seriously, I'm sorry.  
But read this chapter anyway, kay?  
And remember I only own Penelope (or is it owned?)  
Please tell me what you think!  
**

Chapter forty-eight: The Darkest of Times  
~Leo's POV~  
_  
What. Have. I. done.  
_Again and again these words swirled around Leo's head, as he stood at the helm of the ship, sailing  
through the evening twilight.  
It was all his fault. Nemesis had said there would be a price. But did it really have to be this big?  
Losing Penelope was the worst thing that could have happened to Leo, but the goddess of revenge  
hadn't been satisfied yet apparently. No, they had to lose Percy and Annabeth as well.  
Leo's mind was still full of images of the last few hours.  
The Athena Parthenos starting to wobble. Annabeth yelling to secure it. They did, but when they'd  
returned to get the others, they had found only Nico and Hazel, hanging onto the rope ladder for  
dear life, horror in their faces. Percy and Annabeth had fallen to Tartarus. They were gone, just like  
Penelope. And it was all Leo's fault.  
"Hey" a hand touched his shoulder, softly. He didn't need to look to know it was Piper.  
"Leo, you've been steering for hours. Let Coach Hedge do it for a bit." her voice was soft and sad,  
and Leo imagined her kaleidoscope eyes were pained.  
"I'm fine" he whispered, unable to speak any louder. He hadn't spoken at all since explaining what  
had happened to Penelope. He had nothing to say.  
Piper started to say something, but then apparently thought better of it.  
"Okay. Just...get some sleep later, right?" she said, and squeezed his shoulder before walking away.  
Sleep. The idea almost made Leo laugh. As if he could sleep now. All he could do was stand here,  
steering the ship to Greece, where they might be able to save Annabeth and Percy. Maybe. But even  
then, somebody would have to stay behind. And Leo didn't think he could bare to lose anybody else.

Evening passed into night, but nobody came to talk to Leo again, and he was glad. Words were meaningless right now. _I'm sorry _didn't help, even if it was truly meant.  
The thing that Leo couldn't get out of his mind was how unfair the whole situation was. For the first  
time in his life since losing his mother, Leo had felt whole again. A part of the crew, sure, but also  
loved by another person. He felt kind of bad for thinking this, but at least Percy and Annabeth still had each other. And the others still had the people they loved as well.  
Not him.  
Penelope had said she loved him. But he hadn't had the time to say it back. And now she would never know.  
Anger bubbled up in him suddenly, as he realised Penelope would never know he loved her. She'd  
never smile at him again, or smirk in that annoyingly ironic way, or braid her hair down her side,  
while it glinted purple or red, depending on the time of day. They would never return to Camp Half-Blood together, train, have pick nicks at the lake, talk for hours about anything.  
Hera and Hecate had made Penelope live, but could you call it a life? She'd barely been here for three months before her so called destiny had been fulfilled. Did the gods really think that was okay?! Making a person live, making them find friends, family, _a home_ and then just taking it all away again?!  
Leo could feel his hands burning as the rage raced through him, rage at Moros, rage at the gods, rage at everything. But most of all, rage at Penelope.  
And suddenly he couldn't bare it any longer, and he yelled into the darkness before him, his voice getting lost in the endless void.  
"You promised you'd always be there for me!" he cried, his voice ragged and tears running down his cheek. It was easy to imagine Penelope hearing him right now, the night always reminded him of her.  
"You promised me! And then you give yourself up! You give us up! Why did you leave me?! I need you!" he couldn't, he just couldn't cope with the pain anymore. With a yell he sank to his knees, feeling as if somebody was stabbing his heart. Damn you Aphrodite. Damn you Hera. Damn you Poseidon. Damn you Hecate.  
There was no way this would be okay. It would never be okay again. Never.  
"I need you" he whispered, taking out the Amazonite Penelope had used to heal him, what felt like a million years ago. She'd wanted him to keep it, as a reminder.  
Only of course she hadn't realised what it would remind Leo of.  
The wind blew around his face, making him shiver.  
Slowly, he raised his face out of his hands, and saw that the moon had come out behind the clouds.  
_A child of the light in heaven. _  
He remembered Penelope's last words to him.  
_As in the arms of fire she will lie.  
_The stone was cold in his hands, the fire had gone, leaving him feeling empty.  
Suddenly, there was a creak behind him, and footsteps neared. Leo didn't want to see anybody right now. Yet when the person knelt next to him, he saw to his surprise that it was Nico di Angelo.  
"Leo." the boy said, and there was something odd about his voice.  
Leo didn't answer. Nothing was important right now. But Nico didn't go away, and so Leo raised his  
head, wiping away the tear tracks, trying to look pulled together.  
The son of Hades gazed at him with an expression Leo couldn't read. It wasn't pity, but it wasn't  
compassion either.  
"I wanted to talk to you." Nico said, and Leo realised what the expression was. Hope. Not a burning hope, more like a crazy idea.  
When Nico opened his mouth again, Leo was holding his breath.  
"It's about Penelope. I think there might be a way to get her back."

_**Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times. If one only remembers to turn on the light.**_


	49. Chapter 49: The Plan

**Thanks for all the reviews you lovely people!  
So there might be some hope for Lenelope after all...  
But I'm afraid you'll have to wait for a bit to find out if  
the plan works out. In the meantime, enjoy reading this chapter  
whose characters I don't own!  
(::) cookies to make up for the last few chapters! (::)n**

Chapter forty-nine: The Plan  
~Leo's POV~

"Guys? I have to talk to you."  
Piper and Jason both looked up at him. "What's up?" Jason asked, half way through cleaning the stables. It was amazing how dirty they could get even without any horses or pegasi in them.  
Leo walked into the room and sat down on a little stool. He wasn't sure how he should tell them.  
_Hi guys. I'm gonna have to leave you and go on a dangerous quest on my own to save the girl I love  
What's for dinner?  
_Maybe not like that.  
Piper had sat down on the floor in front of him. "What is it, Leo?" she asked, and Leo knew she could tell something was wrong. Besides the obvious wrong that is.  
Leo gave a deep sigh. "There's something I have to tell you"  
Jason came over as well, and his two best friends sat there, looking at him expectantly. _  
Here goes, _Leo thought, and after taking a deep breath said "I have to go somewhere."  
Piper and Jason simply looked at him, expectantly, with a little confusion on their face.  
"Where?" Piper asked.  
"Turkey."  
"What?!" Both of them burst out. "What do you mean, Turkey?"  
Leo knew they would act like this, but he had to tough it out.  
"There" his voice caught a little, and he had to swallow before continuing "There might be a way to bring her back."  
Silence followed as his friends processed this information.  
Leo was sure they would stop him, sure they'd ask him not to go.  
When Piper stood up, he'd already prepared his explanation in his head, ready to argue through this.  
But she didn't tell him not to go, she didn't ask him to stay.  
Instead, Piper hugged him, and whispered "Then you have to go."  
Behind her, Jason nodded.  
Leo was stunned. Here they were, all of them knowing perfectly well that the others might not make  
it with another one of their number gone, but still they were willing to let him go.  
Leo thanked the gods then. There might have been some of the most rotten luck in his life lately,  
but he had friends that he could count upon, and that was worth more than he could express.  
"When?" Jason asked.  
"As soon as possible." he answered. "Meeting in the mess hall in half an hour, okay?"  
They nodded, and Leo went out, before they could see his face. The truth was, he was scared as Hades of what was about to come, and he was pretty sure he might just end up getting himself killed along the way. But if there was a way to get Penelope back, then he would do it.  
Half an hour later, Leo had packed. It was surprising how his whole life seemed to fit into his tool belt and one backpack, but then again he guessed that was an advantage.  
He'd spoken to Festus, as well. The dragon had been obviously upset when Leo had told him of his  
plan, but Leo knew the machine could understand. Festus was now under the order to obey any command one of the crew gave him, and Leo had used the Archimedes sphere to build a small screen which could translate the figure head's wiring and squeaking into English.  
When Leo gave Festus a last pat on the neck, the board blinked: _Good luck._  
"Thanks, Festus" Leo whispered, before turning away and heading down to the mess hall.  
They were nearing the mountains now, and Leo could only hope the others would have a safe journey.  
Everybody else was already waiting for him in the mess hall, and Leo felt a pang at how much their number and decreased.  
Nico di Angelo was sitting in Percy's usual place, looking pale and ghostly. The guy gave Leo the creepy jeepies, but if his plan worked, Leo knew he would be forever in his debt.  
When he'd sat down, Leo looked at his friends. Piper and Jason nodded and Nico gave him what might have been an encouraging smile or maybe a tick in his jaw muscles.  
"So." Leo said. "I have something to tell you all."  
The only people he had to tell were Frank, Hazel and Coach Hedge really, but he didn't feel like singling them out.  
"You know what happened to Penelope." Leo continued, using all his effort to keep his voice level.  
Hazel looked sadly at the table, Coach Hedge gripped his bat and Frank looked at Leo with a look that plainly said _Why are you bringing this up?  
_"Well, there might be a way to get her back."  
This got their attention, and they all looked at Leo with shocked expressions. Now Piper and Jason were leaning in as well, as Leo hadn't told them yet how the whole thing would work. Or was planned, anyway.  
"Okay, so you all now Penelope's, er, mother, is Hecate, right?" A few nods. Leo's voice caught a little on the word _is _but he just couldn't bring himself to use the past tense. It's not over yet, he reminded himself. There's still a chance.  
"So in Ancient Greece there was this town, Lagina, that Hecate was the main patron of. She had a temple there and everything. Nowadays the town's near a place called Turgut, in Turkey."  
He paused, drawing breath. Hazel was watching him with a guarded expression, and Frank was openly confused. Slowly, Leo continued.  
"Right. People used to believe that Hecate was the Cosmic World Soul, and that all souls came from and returned to her. We don't know if that's true, but if it is, then Nico thinks" Leo shot a glance at the son of Hades, whose face was unreadable. "I mean, Nico and I think, there might be a chance that Hecate called Penelope back to her. She created her after all, so it's possible she reclaimed her, or her soul or life force or whatever. And that's why"  
Leo saw his friends' faces look completely perplexed, but he continued, rushing the last few words.  
"That's why I have to go to Lagina and ask Hecate to give Penelope back."  
There, he'd said it. Now all he could do was wait for the others to say no.  
"What do you mean, _you_ have to go?" Frank asked, and Leo thought how could anybody be so stupid but Frank was already continuing "If you go, we all go. We're a team. That's how it works."  
Guilt shot through Leo. He apologised silently for having thought bad of him.  
"Thanks, Frank. But you can't. This is something I have to do alone. I can't explain it, but I just know I have to."  
There was silence. Then Hazel said "But we need you, Leo."  
Leo was about to explain that he'd already taken care of everything, that Festus would get them to  
Athens safely, but Jason cut him off. "We'll be okay. Leo has to do this, and when he succeeds, we'll have Pen back as well, which will be even better when we're facing Gaia. We have a month before  
the date the giants said she would awaken, so I say we meet up in Athens then. Do you think you can make it until then, Leo?"  
Leo was so grateful to Jason that he couldn't speak for a moment. Jason had said _when_ and not _if_ he succeeds, and he was supporting him in this, just like a real friend.  
"Yeah. I can make it."  
"Okay then." Jason looked around, as if daring anybody to try to stop Leo. "Are we all agreeing on this?"  
Nobody objected, though Leo knew he was putting them all in danger.  
"I'm sorry guys. I really am. But if there's a chance to get her back" he couldn't continue. But he knew the others understood. They were his family, after all.  
"How will you be getting there?" Frank asked.  
A smile crept onto Leo's face, despite the serious situation.  
"Oh, I've already thought of a way." _  
Let's only hope it works. _


	50. Chapter 50: A Fiery Journey

**Ah you guys, I made a mistake in the last chapter!  
I wrote that Jason said "meet you in Athens in a month" but I totally  
mixed it up that they were heading for Epirus first!  
So let's just pretend Jason actually said "meet you in Epirus in two weeks." okay?  
Sorryyy for the mistake!  
Also, a million thank-yous to everybody who is following this story, to the people who  
review and those who favourite. I would never have dreamed this story  
would ever get the attention it has gotten, and I'm really grateful!  
Thanks to **_**Taylalee Morgan **_**for your extremely kind review, that was so nice to hear :)  
Okay, I'll stop talking now. I'm not Rick Riordan (shocking, ey?)  
Enjoy this! It's a bit short, but don't worry, there's a long one in the making ;)  
**_  
_Chapter fifty: A Fiery Journey  
~Leo's POV~

"Leo, you don't even know if this will work!"  
Hazel and Piper were looking at him in alarm, as Jason and Frank helped him pile more wood onto  
the already large heap.  
"Why wouldn't it work?" Leo asked, huffing slightly as he lifted an especially big log. "Nico can  
shadow travel, Jason can fly and Percy-" the others winced slightly as the mention of their friend  
"he can swim really fast and far through water. And you Hazel," Leo said, as he realised "you can  
travel underground better than anybody! So why wouldn't I be able to do this?"  
The girls eyed him, clearly unconvinced.  
"But you've never done it before!" Piper now said. "What if it doesn't work, or if it does and you end up somewhere completely wrong, like, I dunno, China or somewhere!"  
Leo grinned "Well, if I end up in China, I'll just call on Frank's family for help."  
"Hey!" Frank, who was coming around the corner with the last bit of wood, grumbled "I'm Canadian, Leo. For the last time."  
"Yeah, yeah, Ping Ling, we know." Leo dodged a branch Frank chucked at him.  
The truth was, Leo felt far less confident than he acted. Sure, the theory was good but would it work?  
"It's not like it will hurt me if it doesn't." Leo told Piper, partly to convince himself as well. She rolled her eyes but didn't say anything more.  
They were all standing on top of a hill, with a few splatterings of forest and the odd sheep milling around. Frank, Leo and Jason had spent the last hour chopping down trees and piling the logs on top of each other, creating a nice big bonfire. Leo had had the idea after Nico suggested he could shadow travel Leo to the next airport. The guy still looked so pale and weak, Leo had declined immediately, but the concept of shadow travel had given him an idea.  
If the son of Hades could use the shadows to travel, then why shouldn't he, the son of Hephaestus, be able to use fire to do likewise?  
"Right." Jason said, and everybody gathered round. "Leo, we'll see you in Epirus in two weeks, okay?"  
Leo nodded, not meeting anybody's eyes. "Yeah. We'll be there." he tried to say it with as much conviction as he could, which wasn't a lot.  
"You'll be fine" Piper said, as she hugged him. He didn't know whether she was using charmspeak or not, but he felt a little better anyway.  
"See you soon, Valdez." Frank said, clapping his hand on Leo's shoulder.  
Hazel hugged him as well, and Nico held out his hand, which Leo shook.  
"I hope this works" the son of Hades whispered, eyeing him intently. Why did he care so much? Leo wondered.  
Coach Hedge grunted "Kill some Turkish monsters for me cupcake", swinging his bat in his hand.  
"Er, sure Coach."  
"You can do this." Jason said, giving Leo half a hug. Somehow Leo wasn't so sure.  
He felt guilty for leaving the others like this, especially now when they were all so understanding about letting him go.  
"So Festus will take care of everything right? If something goes super wrong, send me an IM or something and-"  
"We'll be fine, Leo." Piper interrupted him. "Now go!"  
"Yeah. Yeah right. Take care, all of you."  
With that Leo stepped onto the pile of wood. He let his whole body catch fire, and soon the bonfire  
was ablaze.  
"See you guys soon!" he yelled over the roar of the flames, and he had a last glimpse of the six of them standing around the fire, before he closed his eyes and concentrated with all his might.  
_Please, dad. I need to travel to Lagina. Please help me use this fire as a way to get there. Lagina.  
Come on flames, take me to Lagina. Take me to- _"AAH!"  
Leo yelled as suddenly it felt like his whole body imploded. The flames around him squeezed him to a pulp, and he lost all sense of orientation. All he could feel was the flicker of fire, and the way his body seemed to be forced through an opening the size of a keyring. He had no idea how he would get out of this, so all he could do was think, desperately: _Lagina!  
_Then, just as suddenly as it had started, it was over, and Leo fell to the ground with a painful _thump_.  
Disorientated, it took him a while to register his surroundings.  
He was on top of a hill, and for one wild moment he thought it hadn't worked. But then Leo realised that the landscape around the hill was completely different, lush green and almost untouched by humans.  
In the distance, he could spot what looked like white marble ruins, and he knew he had come to the right place. Now all he had to do was get there as quick as he could, and then he would  
be able to save Penelope. Hope filled his chest.  
He was so focused on reaching the temple, he almost forgot to thank his father for the trip.  
"Thanks, dad!" he shouted to the heavens, giving the thumbs up. Leo had no idea if it really had been Hephaestus who had helped him, but he'd rather not risk being disrespectful.  
A small fire was still burning beside him, fed by a dry shrub. Leo lifted his arm to touch it.  
Though why did his arm feel like it weighed a million pounds?  
That was when Leo realised he was still lying on his back, yet when he tried to get up, the million pound weight sank onto his whole body. Struggling to shift into a sitting position, Leo felt more drained than he had ever felt, except maybe after he'd battled Talos.  
_Great _he thought, moodily. _Nico couldn't have mentioned that I'd need a full body refuel every time  
I did this, could he? _  
There was nothing for it, he knew he wouldn't get very far like this. Under painstaking effort,  
he crawled towards the nearest tree, which had low hanging branches, and propped himself up against the trunk. He fished some ambrosia out of his backpack, which thankfully had survived the  
fire travel as well, and ate it, savouring the taste of fresh brownies.  
Almost immediately his eyes began to droop, and he barely had time so set an alarm on the watch  
he'd built a few days ago, before slumping sideways onto the ground. He wouldn't allow himself more than a couple hours of sleep, even though he was so, so tired.  
_Don't worry Pen, _he thought dreamily.  
The last image he saw before he fell asleep was a dark haired girl with bright turquoise  
eyes, laughing and holding out her hand to him.  
_Don't worry. I'm coming to get you.  
_


	51. Chapter 51: Guilt

**Sorry for not updating yesterday! I'd had this chapter written but I  
didn't like it, so I chose redo it today. Still don't think it's particularly  
good, but oh well. It has to be here so we can get back to more  
exciting parts.  
So I realised that my sisters name is Thalia and my second name is Grace.  
Like, seriously, not kidding. That's kinda cool I think...  
Anyways, I don't own anything 'xcept Pen and hope you enjoy this  
chapter! Review to tell me what you think! **

Chapter fifty-one: Guilt  
~Leo's POV~

His dreams were not good that night. A red creature kept stalking him, whispering horrible things.  
"_It's your fault she died..." It cackled, sucking the air as if it was feeding on Leo's emotions. _  
"_Percy and Annabeth fell into Tartarus because of you._.." _Terrible laughter accompanied her whispers. _  
"_Go away!" Leo shouted, but the demon just crept closer. "And you mother too..."  
Her face was a terrifying sight, with features that might have been beautiful if they hadn't been contorted and twisted, as if she was wearing one of those fun-house mirrors that made you look fat or thin or fish-eyed.  
The demons eyes gleamed like charcoal, and her teeth were black studs. With every word she said  
she sucked in air, and Leo could feel guilt enveloping him, making him want to jump of a building.  
It was all his fault. Percy and Annabeth. Penelope. Leaving the others alone.  
Up ahead was a cliff. Leo stepped up to the edge, looking down to see sharp rocks like spikes  
awaiting at the bottom. The guilt he felt was so intense he was tempted to jump. He should do it.  
It was all his fault anyway. Suddenly the demonic red woman crept up behind him and pushed him,  
so that he fell, face forwards, towards the spikes.  
_"Ah!" Leo yelled, waking up with a start. It took him a moment to realise where he was.  
Tree branches surrounded him, the countryside was lush and in the far distance, there was a clustering of white ruins.  
He was near Lagina, on his quest to rescue Pen. Everything was okay. Well, maybe not okay, but  
he wasn't dead.  
Yet why did he feel so hot? It was as if he was being slow-cooked, sweat beading on his forehead.  
When he felt his head, it was blazing hot, like during a fever.  
Quickly, Leo took some ambrosia out of his bag, ate it and immediately felt cooler. He couldn't  
get sick now, he had to rescue Penelope!  
After a quick breakfast made of some provisions he'd packed, Leo checked he had everything on him and started downhill towards the ruins.  
Yet somehow they didn't seem to be coming any nearer, no matter how long he walked for. The sun had already made its way halfway across the sky, and still Leo trudged on.  
The guilt he'd felt in his dream was just as bad as before, and it made it difficult to think clearly, let alone focus on the task ahead. How could he have let this happen? Why hadn't he stopped Percy and Annabeth from falling into Tartarus? Why hadn't he prevented Moros from attacking them? Why why why...  
Leo was so preoccupied, he didn't notice the ledge which suddenly appeared before him. He would have walked straight over it and fallen onto the rocks below, had a voice not suddenly spoken inside his head: _Stop. _  
It shocked him so much, he stopped, and just in time. One more step and he'd have tumbled to his death. His heart beating fast, Leo looked around, but he couldn't see anything. There was only beautiful countryside behind, and the jagged rocks at the bottom of the cliff, before him.  
With a shiver, Leo realised they looked exactly like the ones in his dream.  
"Who's there?" he called, afraid for one moment that the demon of his dream would also appear, but thankfully it didn't. As a precaution, Leo summoned a hammer from his toolbelt, swinging it loosely in his hand. "Show yourself!"  
Nothing happened. And then, out of the corner of his eye, Leo saw something shimmer. He whirled around, but there was nothing there. He waited, and after another minute he saw that same shimmering again, right at the edge of his vision. What was it?  
When he turned to see it, slower this time, it disappeared again.  
"What the-?" he murmured, and the sound of his voice in the silence gave him the creeps.  
_You cannot look directly at me, Leo Valdez.  
_The same voice said in his head, and Leo started. It was a beautiful voice, soft and clear, and it reminded him of someone...  
_Penelope_, he realised. Could it be?  
"P..Pen?" Leo stuttered, unbelievingly.  
_Alas, I am not your lost friend. She is almost beyond your help. You will have to hurry, son of  
Hephaestus.  
_"Tell me who your are" Leo tried to sound sure of himself, but it was difficult to hide his disappointment. For one tiny second he'd dared hope that Penelope had come to find him, and now his heart felt heavy again.  
_I am a peri, _the voice said, and Leo thought he could hear an odd melancholy in its tone.  
"What's a pee-ri?" Leo wondered out loud, and a sound like the wind sighing swept across him.  
The light had reappeared at the edge of his vision, but he knew better than to turn to it.  
_A peri is a peri, young hero. More I cannot reveal. Hurry, you will have to overcome these cliffs by noon tomorrow, otherwise you will not succeed.  
_This made Leo's heart beat fast with fear. "What do you mean, I won't succeed? And why do you think it will take me so long?" He was already getting the Archimedes sphere out of his toolbelt.  
Hopefully, he could rig some kind of climbing device, and simply rope down this cliff.  
_This obstacle cannot be overcome by tools or strength. You will have to confront the demon that  
has been stalking you. Only then will you be able to pass.  
_"What..what do you mean?" Leo asked, but the shimmering glow had disappeared, leaving Leo alone again. He had no idea what he was supposed to do, and he tried to fasten his climbing construction to the rock face anyway. As soon as he let go however, it flew back up and onto the grass. So tools really wouldn't help him here. But then what would? The _peri _had said to confront the demon that had been, (what was it?) stalking him. Did she mean the red lady demon from his dream? Yet that hadn't been real, had it?  
Sighing, Leo sank onto a nearby boulder. If the weird spirit thing had been telling the truth, he had only until noon tomorrow to save Penelope. Somehow he knew that if he could overcome these cliffs, he would arrive at the ruins afterwards.  
But for now, until the monster came, there was nothing he could do. He waited out in the open,  
trying to emit as much demigoddishness as he could, hoping to attract the demon.  
Nothing appeared however.  
Guilt and helplessness creeped up inside him, and for a moment he almost felt like turning back.  
Almost.  
When night fell, Leo searched for another place to sleep, eventually choosing two boulders, which formed a sort of den, as his camp site. After a sparse dinner, Leo lent back against the stone wall behind him.  
He'd never realised how lonely a solo quest was. There was nobody he could talk to, nobody to  
keep watch while he slept, nobody to watch his back in a fight.  
Poor Annabeth, Leo thought. She'd had to confront Arachne all on her own. And now her and Percy were in Tartarus, if they weren't already dead.  
_Don't think like that_ he tried to tell himself, but sitting there alone in the dark, in a strange country thousands of miles away from his friends, it was difficult to remain optimistic.  
Why did the gods allow things like this to happen he wondered. If they were so powerful, why  
couldn't they take care of their children, like other parents did?  
It simply wasn't fair. Resentment filled Leo, and he said out loud "Why don't you care?!"  
to no god in particular. There was no answer. Of course there wasn't.  
With his heart heavy, Leo lay down, cradling the black Amazonite in his hands. The stone wouldn't protect him, but he felt better holding it. It connected him with Penelope, and that was the best  
comfort Leo could find.  
That night, the same nightmares plagued him.  
But they also gave him an idea.


	52. Chapter 52: Banishing Al Basti

**Hello, you amazing people!  
Thank you soo much for your lovely reviews, they make me so happy and give me the  
motivation to continue with this story! I'm really grateful for every single reader I have, like  
seriously, you guys are wonderful!  
I still haven't transformed into Rick Riordan, but I hope you enjoy  
this chapter nevertheless!  
* hugs you all ***

Chapter fifty-two: Banishing Al Basti  
~Leo's POV~

After experiencing the same dream again, the one where the red demon lady chased him and whispered horrible things, Leo thought he had an idea how to get rid of the monster and thus hopefully be able to get down those cliffs.  
When the first rays of sunshine lit up the world around him, Leo started to work, summoning  
different tools from his belt, fixing them together. When he finished, there was a small nozzle  
in his hand, which he could fix onto his water flask and which enabled him to spray a thin sheen  
of water into the air. He looked for the best spot, somewhere where there was a lot of sunshine,  
and then got out a golden drachma from his pocket.  
_Please let this work_ he prayed to whatever god would hear him, and with a deep breath, threw the coin into the rainbow mist. "Oh goddess, accept my offering and show me Callister Abernath at Camp Half-Blood."  
The coin disappeared, but nothing happened. For one moment Leo feared it hadn't worked, but then a grainy image of a pale blond boy appeared before him.  
"Cal!" Leo cried, happy for the first time in his life to see this head.  
The boy turned around, obviously shocked. He was in his cabin, pouring over ancient looking books.  
"Valdez?" he asked, disbelief on his face.  
"Yeah. Listen, Cal, I need a favour."  
"And why would I do anything for you?" the son of Hecate sneered, and Leo couldn't believe how anybody could be so unpleasant. But he wouldn't be fazed. He didn't have a lot of water left, and  
he knew this was his only chance.  
"You should help me because I'm trying to rescue your sister. Now listen: You have to tell me  
what you know about a Turkish red demon lady monster. You studied Turkish history, didn't you? That time you used that old spell book but you translated the Arabian wrong, and we all ended up in pink-"  
"Yes, yes Valdez I know what you mean." Cal snapped.  
"Good. You have to tell me everything you know about it. And quick!"  
For one moment, Leo thought Callister would simply cut the call short. He looked at Leo, and through the grainy image, Leo couldn't exactly make out his expression. It might have been disinterest, but it could also have been weariness.  
Then, Cal opened his mouth. "The monster you are referring to is the Al Basti, I believe. A female demon, rumoured to live in western Turkish areas, the Al Basti feeds on guilt, and is drawn to those filled with regret. It will suck your strength, enter your dreams, and leave you feeling feverish in the morning. If you do not come to terms with your guilt, the Al Basti will eventually suck you dry."  
Cal finished, looking grave. "I hope this information is what you where looking for?"  
"Yes!" Leo cried, pushing away the queasiness that had entered his stomach. "Thank you Cal, you just saved my life."  
The pale boy didn't respond, and for a moment Leo thought he saw a flicker of something that could have been hope pass over Callister's face.  
But Leo's time was up, the water flask could barely produce a last squirt of drops.  
"Valdez?" Cal asked, obviously sensing their call was almost over. "Yeah?"  
"I hope...I hope you save my s-"  
The image disappeared, leaving Leo feeling oddly sympathetic with the boy he usually found so creepy. Leo was sure Cal had been about to say _sister, _and he answered, although the connection to Camp Half-Blood was no longer there, "I promise to do my best, Cal."  
For a minute, Leo sat there, letting the sun warm his face, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do. Then, firmly, he got up and walked back towards the ledge, stopping a few feet away from the drop.  
"It wasn't my fault." he said, loudly and clearly, so that everyone could hear. Not that there was anybody there, except for a little black bird which swooped from the sky, hovered in the air for a second, and then took back off.  
Nothing happened, the cliffs looked as unmanageable as ever, and the minutes were ticking by, bringing Leo closer to the deadline that was noon.  
Clearing his throat, Leo tried picturing the guilt he felt, instead of denying it. Cal had said the demon was attracted by guilt and regret, and Leo had plenty of that.  
If he could draw the demon to him, maybe he could fight it. In his minds eye, he saw his mother, the ruined city of New Rome, Percy and Annabeth, Echo, the crew of the Argo II, and most painful of all, Penelope. He pictured everything he felt guilty for doing, and every person he thought he'd let down. It caused him so much pain, Leo almost fell to the ground, but he fought and stood his ground.  
And then the images in his mind started to move, transforming from mere pictures to full length movies.  
_His mother was caught in a burning room, desperately trying to get out. "Leo, mi hijo, why didn't you control your fire?! Why are you burning me?!" she screamed, looking at him accusingly. "Mum!" Leo called, stepping forward.  
The scene changed, and Leo saw a burnt city before him, and an army marching on Camp Half-Blood. "We're all going to die because of you!" his friends back home called, and they pushed him away, before being attacked by a vault of Roman arrows.  
Another shift: Percy and Annabeth, surrounded by monsters in a dark cavern reeking of death. "Leo!" Annabeth yelled, while Percy brought out Riptide and slashed it towards Leo. "You made us fall! You broke open the cookie!" "No!" Leo cried, trying to duck. He couldn't, and the bronze blade flew towards him, but before it connected, the scene changed again and there was an echo, echoing a million times around him "Didn't save me, didn't save me, didn't save me, didn't save me" And now the crew was there, adding to the din. "Left us! Left us! Lefts us!"  
"Stop!" Leo yelled, covering his hands with his ears. Yet the sound wasn't just around him, it was inside his head, filling his brain, making it feel ready to explode.  
For a moment Leo thought it had, as everything turned black. Complete silence filled the air, there wasn't even a sound of breath, though Leo felt his own chest rising and sinking heavily.  
He thought for a moment he was safe, but then he saw her. Right there in front of him, ghostly pale, floating with her face turned towards him, her eyes closed. She was unmistakably dead, and it was his fault. This made him hurt worse than anything else, except maybe his mother's death. They were both dead because of him. He should die too, he should run forward right now, so he could fall down that cliff and end his misery.  
"Stop!" A voice cried, and Penelope's eyes flew open. They weren't their normal shade of bright turquoise however, but glowed a shining white instead, like the spirit Leo had met before.  
"Hero, You must realise these things were beyond your control. You couldn't have changed them. You must banish the Al Basti, give it no more guilt to feast upon."  
Leo heard the voice, but couldn't react. He was so empty, so miserable. Please let this end...  
"Fight!" Penelope cried, sounding for a second like herself, and Leo saw a flash of  
piercing turquoise.  
Penelope. He remembered. He was fighting for Penelope. And that was all that mattered.  
"It wasn't my fault." Leo said, and his voice came out quieter than he'd intended it to. Again, images started, but he ignored them.  
"Gaia killed my mother. The eidolon possessed me and fired on New Rome. Percy and Annabeth fell into Tartarus, and maybe because of my fortune cookie, but I will save them. Echo chose to stay. The crew will be fine without me for a while." With each sentence he uttered, the scenes grew fainter, and his conscience cleared. "And I am going to bring Penelope back. We're going to be together again." This last sentence came out so forcefully and full of conviction, that it made the darkness around him shatter, a million little fragments dissolving in a fresh wind.  
_With sudden strength, Leo opened his eyes again, half expecting to see the demon that had planted the images in his mind. But it was nowhere to be found, and when Leo looked straight ahead, he saw that he was no longer standing at the top of the deadly cliffs, but in front of a marble gate.  
He had made it, he had banished the monster Al Basti and overcome his guilt.  
Maybe the cliffs had been an illusion all along, but it didn't matter. Leo felt stronger than ever,  
and his heart filled with new hope as he took in the sight of the ruins before him.  
Only they weren't ruins any more.  
Folding out in front of Leo was an ancient Greek temple sight, with beautiful little buildings and arches and pillars, all gleaming a snowy white in the sunshine.

All except for one, right at the end.  
The magnificent temple stood on an elevated platform, and was perfectly round.  
It's fascade glinted, not white, but the deepest, most darkest black, as black as the night.  
His heart beating fast, Leo stepped through the welcoming arch and towards the building which he knew he must enter.  
All he could do now was pray, and hope that Hecate would not kill him for coming to take her daughter away.


	53. Chapter 53: The Right Doorway

**Sorry, this is a short chapter, but I was really busy today!  
I love you guys, that's all I need to say. Oh yeah, and that I don't own PJO/HoO.  
Enjoy and thanks for the reviews!  
xx**

Chapter fifty-three: The Right Doorway  
~Leo's POV~

Entering the temple wasn't as easy as Leo had pictured it. There was not one, but three doors, all made of the same black stone, and all with a silver doorknob in the middle.  
Somehow Leo knew he would have only one chance to open the correct one.  
But which one was it?  
Slowly, one after the other, Leo checked the doors out, letting his hands glide over their surface, trying to feel his way. They all felt the same, cold and smooth.  
The only thing that distinguished them from one another was the way they made Leo feel.  
Standing in front of the left door, Leo felt more confident, more trusting in his abilities. It was a great feeling. He wasn't worth any less than Jason or Percy, after all! He was just as much as a hero as them! With a grin on his face, Leo continued to the door in the middle.  
As soon as he stopped before it, the confident feeling vanished, replaced by a sense of purpose.  
Leo suddenly knew what the way to proceed was, how they would be able to defeat Gaia, how everyone of them could go home.  
This enlightenment flashed through his mind so quickly, he couldn't grasp the ideas. Yet he knew that if he chose this door, the solutions would be his.  
Before he walked over to the door on the right hand side, Leo hesitated. So far he had little idea which way was the right one. The confidence on the left would help him in battle, and make him believe in his ability to save Penelope. The middle door would offer him solutions, and so far he was more inclined to chose that one. Yet he didn't want to chose without having tested every door,  
and so he walked over to the right hand side.  
The moment he put his hand on the knob, Leo knew this was the correct door. This was the way he should go, and without hesitation or consideration of the other options, he turned the doorknob and  
pushed the heavy stone door open.  
Inside Leo could see a dark hallway, lit only by torches with the kind of flames Penelope could produce, except they were completely purple and not blue-tinted.  
A shiver ran down Leo's spine as he stepped inside the temple of Hecate.  
Shouldn't there be any guardians or something? he wondered. Somehow the lack of security made him more nervous rather than reassure him, and he walked along the corridor with slow, careful footsteps.  
Behind him, he could hear the stone door shut, yet he kept his eyes straight ahead.  
After a few minutes he relaxed a tiny bit, just enough to notice the markings on the walls.  
Odd symbols, people and weird writing covered the walls, but it didn't look like a mess. Instead, it looked like a giant well calculated plan, stretching on for ever, and Leo got the feeling that the whole fate of the world was hidden in these walls.  
He knew Annabeth would go crazy if she could see him now, walking along side what was probably more wisdom than any library could ever hold, and not even stopping to decipher some of it.  
But Leo had a purpose here, and it was not trying to make sense of magic formulas.  
The longer he walked along the corridor, the more he got the feeling that he wasn't actually making any headway.  
His mind started to wander as his steps got more monotonous, and he found himself thinking back to the days before the Argo II had sailed for Camp Jupiter, when everything had been so good.  
Somehow his mind came up with Chleo's face, and Leo felt a wrench in his gut as he thought about the fact that Chleo had been right with her dark prediction after all. Penelope_ had _gotten killed.  
But now Leo would bring her back. There was simply no other option.  
The thought of Chleo made Leo's mind wander back to Hecate herself. Personally, Leo didn't understand why the goddess of magic wasn't the most powerful one of the Olympians. She could  
control the Mist, for Zeus' sake!  
The Mist... With a jolt, Leo stopped in his tracks. He'd been so observed in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed he was still walking along the same corridor.  
_Or so it seemed.  
_The moment he thought that, the walls around him started to melt. The torches took to the air,  
floating ghostlike above his head, underneath a ceiling strewn with stars and one crescent moon.  
If he hadn't known it was day outside, Leo would have thought the ceiling was open to the sky.  
His surroundings had now shifter into an odd, circular chamber, and as Leo watched, little balls of light formed in mid-air, as big as oranges maybe, but glowing a pale white-blue light. He was tempted to touch one of them, but decided it would be best not to.  
In the centre of the room stood a black marble altar, and on it lay..._a pendant necklace.  
_Without thinking, Leo rushed forwards, but before he could reach out for the altar and the piece of jewellery on it, a figure materialised before him, a figure which emanated such an aura of power, Leo backed away, completely taken aback.  
"Hecate." he whispered, awe-struck.  
The goddess had sleek, dark purple hair which flowed down her back. She looked beautiful and completely timeless, the way gods always seemed to do.  
Her face was pale, so much it almost glowed, and her eyes were a bright shade of silver. They were  
regarding Leo with an emotion he couldn't read, and he found that holding her gaze for long was  
difficult. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Leo noted how much Penelope resembled her mother.  
Then the goddess spoke, her voice calm and just as ageless as her face1:  
"Yes, Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus. I am somewhat surprised to see you here. My defences did not stop you then. But your trials are not over yet, I fear. Now tell me, what do you seek in this most  
sacred of places."  
For a moment Leo couldn't find the will to speak. The goddess was so..._divine_, as weird as that sounded, that he felt insignificant and small in comparison.  
But he knew he must answer if he were to save Penelope, and so he spoke, looking Hecate  
straight in the eye with difficulty.  
"I'm here for your daughter. I've come to bring Penelope back to life."


	54. Chapter 54: Resurrection

**Hello lovelies,  
I'm so sorry for not updating sooner, but I was barely at home the last  
few days.  
Hope this makes up for it though!  
I don't own the characters, except my OC.  
This chapter is probably my favourite, it was so great to write, and  
I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  
Again I'd like to thank you guys for being so faithful to this story, for  
making Lenelope seem more real than I'd ever dreamed they would be.  
Thanks to every guest reviewer as well, as I can't thank you guys via PM.  
Also, I would like you all to know that Phoenix McLean is an amazing  
artist, she drew Penelope for me and I absolutely love it! Thanks again, Phoenix!  
Right, so now I'll leave you to read this, and hopefully enjoy it.  
Please review to tell me what you think!**

  
Chapter fifty-four: Resurrection  
~Leo's POV~

The goddess looked at Leo, and he got the feeling she was sizing him up.  
"An ambitious endeavour. And what makes you think that the girl can be brought back to life?"  
Her voice was completely void of emotion, and Leo noticed how she said _the girl _and not _my daughter.  
_"You're Hecate." Leo answered, fighting down his nervousness "You're one of the oldest gods, actually you're a titan. Zeus honoured you, he left you your control over some parts of the sky, the sea, and the underworld." Hecate showed no reaction, and so Leo kept on talking.  
"In ancient times, people called you the soul of the world, because you hold keys to the underworld  
and can converse with the dead. That's why I think that you can bring Penelope back to life."  
Here he stopped, waiting for an answer.  
The silence in the circular room was uncomfortable, and Leo felt tempted to let his gaze wander,  
the balls of light and the altar attracting his attention like glowing beacons. But he kept his  
eye contact with Hecate, and after another moment of silence, she spoke again.  
"What you say is true, hero. Every soul on this earth will pass through my realm, and then continue  
to travel to Hades' domain. You can see some of them here" she said, and waved her hand at the balls of light. Leo stared. They were souls?! Was it possible then, that maybe Penelope...?  
"I know what you are thinking" Hecate said, her eyes as bright as molten silver. "But she is not one  
of these souls, who are on the brink of their journey to the underworld."  
Even as Leo watched, one of the balls started to glow brightly for a second, and then disappear, leaving only a faint trail of misty light behind. Almost immediately after, a new ball appeared, so that there was actually a constant motion which Leo hadn't noticed before.  
"As you see, son of Hephaestus, they are continuing their travels." Hecate explained, in that low but powerful voice, which completely lacked Penelope's melodic tone. "Her soul however still remains in my hold, although she is as good as gone. You are too late, young hero. You cannot save her."  
It was as if she had stabbed his gut with a shard of ice. The words rang inside his head, making his  
heart contract painfully. It couldn't be true, it simply couldn't.  
Leo had not come all this way only to give up now, and he felt a certain resilience creep up inside  
him.  
"No." he said, his voice sounding firmer. "You're the goddess of magic, you're a titaness! Your  
powers are among the greatest of the gods, there has to be a way you can bring her back! Or don't  
you want to save your own daughter?!"  
This outburst seemed to surprise the goddess, for she raised her eyebrows an infinitesimal amount.  
"You call her my daughter, Leo Valdez? An interesting term... I certainly created her, and gave her  
the powers she possessed. It was difficult, as normally only the Fates can determine a person's, well, fate, and creating life without them playing a part was indeed challenging." Leo wasn't sure he  
wanted to hear the rest of Hecate's monologue, but something made him listen. Maybe it was  
because he owed it to Penelope to learn about Hecate's motivation, or maybe he just wanted to  
know for himself. "I used part of another soul to create her in fact" Hecate was already continuing,  
in a slightly musing tone. "Samantha Davis, a powerful daughter of mine, who died on a quest for the god Janus. As she passed through my realm, I decided that her life force was exactly what I needed for my creation. And it worked perfectly..." The goddess trailed off, and Leo stared at her in horror. She had used her own child to create another person? Had she harmed Sam's eternal  
soul in the process? Was Penelope actually a reborn Sam?! And why, why did the goddess even do things like that? Leo was about to ask her, but she came across him.  
"You are horrified at my actions, hero. But I caused no harm to Samantha's soul. She was taken into  
Elysium almost instantly, I merely extracted some of her abilities and her human energy beforehand, neither of which she would have needed in the underworld. And as for my motivation,  
which you question so greatly, let me tell you this: Perseus Jackson is already one of the most powerful half-bloods of all times. And he will become even more powerful, until he will be a danger to the Olympians. The Fates did not deem it wise to let him live longer than he already has,  
and so they decided to curse him, to bring him down.  
But Hera realised what it would mean if Perseus died: The end of the human race. Without that particular hero, Gaia will not be defeated. He will not accomplish it alone, oh no, but he is the  
heart of the resistance. And why would we, the gods, aim to save the humans you may ask? Well,  
hero, they are our source of life. Without them we would die, and that would indeed not be to our  
advantage."  
She finished, looking at Leo, awaiting his reaction. There was no horror in Leo now, only anger.  
How could she talk about these things like they were of no importance what so ever? How _dare _she call Penelope a mere creation, like an object or complicated machine she had built?!  
Leo would not accept this, he would not allow for the gods to be this cold. He could already feel his  
fingertips growing hot as the rage inside him mounted and he said, his voice taut and filled with  
held back anger: "Penelope isn't a machine. She was, no, she _is _a real person, with _real _feelings.  
How dare you talk about her like that? You might have 'created' her, but that doesn't give you  
the right to talk about her as if she wasn't alive! It was _us _who found her, Camp Half-Blood that gave her shelter! Pen might not have had a life before you tossed her into the ocean, but she has one now. She's found friends to fight with, a home to return to and most importantly _a family worth_

_dying for! _She chose to die, she gave up her life for us" his voice cracked "You gods can't just go around playing with lives like that! Just because you're more powerful than us doesn't mean you can do that! You talk like Penelope wasn't your daughter, but she was, because your own family accepted her as a part of them! Chleo, even Callister! Do you want to hurt your children like this?! Doesn't family mean anything to you?"  
Leo ended up shouting. He realised that talking to a goddess like this could easily get you killed, but he didn't care. He didn't care if he got pulverized, or turned into a pile of centaur poo, or was fed to  
one of Hecate's monstrous servants! He revelled in telling the goddess these things, it felt so good  
to say them, to shout them out, so that the world could hear. Heroes weren't mere tools, they were  
family, and parents should protect their family, always.  
When his breathing had calmed down a bit, he realised Hecate still hadn't said anything since his  
outburst. She was looking at him, her bright and penetrating eyes just like Penelope's, Leo noticed.  
Was he mistaken or was the aura of power pulsating more around the woman? Was she getting ready to vaporize Leo? Probably. But he wouldn't beg, he would die with his head held high, if he  
had to. Closing his eyes, Leo waited for the blow.  
But it never came.  
Instead, after what felt like an hour, the low voice of the goddess sounded around the temple room  
again, but it wasn't angry. It was just as neutral as before, and made Leo open his eyes again.  
"Poseidon gave his blessing, so she could live. It was her life energy, the one she would give to the son of Poseidon, but which made my creation complete. Now, it is gone, and without it, she cannot  
be revived."  
No. No that couldn't be true. Leo couldn't have come all this way and survived his outburst at the goddess for nothing.  
When he spoke, his voice was no longer firm, but shaking with suppressed fear.  
"Can't...can't Poseidon give her another blessing?"  
Hecate let out a soft laugh. "The god of the Sea will not go against the Fates again. He only did it  
the first time out of love for his own son, to save the child he is most proud of. And without a powerful attribute like that, I cannot recreate life. It is a boundary, so I do not go around making new heroes all the time, and it makes sense, son of Hephaestus. No god can create life the way I did  
except through reproduction. What I did was an immense exception, going against every law, and only with the help of Hera, who hid my undertaking from the other gods, and Poseidon, who gave some of his power to the new soul, did it succeed. But now, it will not."  
_I cannot recreate life. An immense exception.  
_The words swirled around Leo, taunting him. His last hope was dying.  
Poseidon would not give Penelope another blessing, and without that, she couldn't come back to life. Leo could feel a cry of despair building inside his chest, but he fought against it, unwilling to  
let it out. Hecate was watching him, as if to see what he would make of this news.  
Watching to see what he would do...What he _could _do...  
'_A powerful attribute'. _Tía Callida putting him in the flames.  
'_A blessing'. _No son of Hephaestus had received a blessing like that in over four hundred years.  
_Sacrifices...sacrifices to wake the goddess.  
_Sacrifices were more powerful than anything in this world of gods and magic. Gaia was planning to  
use them to reawaken, to rise from a sleep as deep as..._death.  
_Suddenly, Leo knew there was something he could do. Something _he_ could sacrifice.  
"Take mine." He said, his voice more like a whisper.  
Hecate looked at him, unresponsive.  
"Take mine." Leo repeated, louder this time. He held out his arms, feeling like he was baring  
his very soul to the goddess. And maybe he was, but he didn't care.  
It was nothing compared to the agony of living without Penelope. He would give up anything for her, he realised, something that made even him feel a little uneasy. But it didn't stop him.  
"My father, Hephaestus, granted me the gift of fire. I...I give it to you. You can use it, to bring her back. That would work, right? Sacrifices are that powerful, aren't they?"  
The goddess held up a hand, and purple flames danced across it. "Pyrokinesis." she murmured,  
her silver eyes an eerie shade of purple as they reflected the fire in her palm.  
"A gift I do not bestow lightly on my children. Only on the most talented ones. You are right, a sacrifice like that would be powerful enough."  
Leo's heart leapt. It could work!  
"But bare in mind, young hero." Hecate continued, and the flames in her hand vanished. "That once  
given, a gift like that can never be returned. You will be vulnerable to fire, it will be able to destroy  
you. Your father will very likely be enraged at you for giving away his blessing, and it might  
alter the entire course of your life. You are choosing a direction at your crossroads. Are you certain you wish to proceed?"  
Leo thought. His dad would probably be really angry with him. But he'd never been there for him. Okay, so maybe he'd given him the power over fire to help him in life, but if Leo let this chance to save Penelope pass by, there wouldn't be much of a life left for him to have.  
He had to do this, no matter the consequences. A warm feeling spread through him, as purpose and  
surety filled him up.  
"I'm certain." he told the goddess, over whose face might have passed the flicker of a smile, yet it was so brief, Leo couldn't be sure he hadn't just imagined it.  
"All right, Leo Valdez. Come forward." she motioned to the altar behind her, and stepped aside so  
Leo could get passed. He walked forward, and a shiver ran down his spine as he came to a stop next to the goddess.  
The familiar necklace was still lying on the altar, but Leo now noticed that it had changed. Before,  
the pattern had been a mix of purple and white diamonds, whereas now there were only purple ones.

"What do I have to do?" he asked, his gaze fixed on the necklace. He could picture Penelope wearing it so vividly, it hurt.  
"Set it on fire." Hecate answered, and Leo wondered if that really was all. He did so anyway, reaching out his hand to touch the piece of jewellery. It was ice cold.  
Leo let the familiar prickling feeling in his hand grow stronger, and within seconds his finger were  
ablaze. However, the necklace seemed immune to the heat, it neither warmed up nor caught fire.  
"Give everything up." the goddess told him, and Leo realised what she meant.  
He closed his eyes and pictured all his power, all his heat and energy flowing through his arm into his outstretched hands, the way it had inside Talos' head.  
A flowing sensation filled him, his power building up, before he let it loose, let it flood out of him,  
and into the diamonds on the cold stone table.  
A voice echoed around his head, a memory of a dream long ago: _Whatever happens, don't lose your power over fire, Leo! _Beckendorf's voice seemed to call to him, a last warning.  
But Leo did not heed it. Even if he'd wanted to, it was too late to stop.  
Finally, as Leo felt he couldn't go on any longer, the necklace burst into flames.  
Leo stumbled backward, feeling a little weak, but excitement provided enough energy for him to  
stay straight. He watched, entranced, as the flames engulfed every diamond and the black leather cord, and as the whole thing burnt to ashes. They weren't black though. They were pure white,  
and when the flames had gone, they started to float, and drift around in the air.  
"What..what's happening?!" Leo asked, and Hecate called. "My creation is coming back from the dead" Her voice sounded more powerful than ever, and when she looked at Leo, he could  
see purple flames in her eyes again, only they weren't reflections this time.  
"You have succeeded, Leo Valdez. But be warned, my daughter might not be the same after death. Some of the powers she had before will be gone. Coming back to life can alter her, might even erase her memory of the life she had before."  
"What?!" Leo yelled, but his voice was lost in the sound of Hecate's chantings, now filling the chamber. The pieces of ash were whirling in a wild shape on top of the altar, and with every incantation the goddess uttered, they grew brighter, until all Leo could see was a bright form over  
the stone table.  
His heart was beating fast, and the pulsation of power that surrounded him made him feel like he was burning. Properly burning.  
Just as he thought he could take no more, there was a brilliant flash of light, and the chamber grew  
dark again. Leo had backed away from the altar, and had closed his eyes as not to be blinded.  
When he opened them again, his heart stopped. There, lying with her eyes closed, looking just as  
she had the last time he'd seen her, was Penelope.  
Leo wanted to hug her, but Hecate held up her hand. "You must wait, hero. Her soul is re-entering  
her body right now, and it must not be disturbed."  
He held himself back, although it was hard. There was still a glow around Pen, and when Hecate waved her hand, Penelope started to float, and turn, so she was standing in mid-air. Her face was pale and still, and she didn't look very alive at all. Her hair was as dark as ever, and when he compared the two, Leo could see how much Penelope actually resembled the goddess who had created her. Hecate looked at her daughter for one moment, and Leo thought he could see something like pride in her silver eyes.  
The goddess spoke: "I will leave now. You must hurry to Epirus, do not linger in this temple, for it will vanish soon after I am gone. Good luck, Leo Valdez."  
With that she faded into the darkness around them, and Leo couldn't even thank her, for as emotionless as she was, she had brought Penelope back. But now she was gone, and Leo returned to watch the girl in front of him.  
Finally the last glow around Pen darkened, and there she was, standing on the ground with her face back to its normal, creamy colour, her dark wavy hair tumbling down over her shoulders.  
Leo was transfixed, and he held his breath as she opened her eyes. Their bright turquoise colour  
shone through the gloom, and for a moment Penelope looked confused, as if she didn't know what  
was happening.  
_Please remember _was all Leo could think, his heart pounding.  
When Pen's gaze focused on his face, there was a terrible moment in which she didn't seem to recognize him. But then her eyes widened and with a cry she stumbled forward, and Leo rushed up to catch her. She fell into his arms and it was the best feeling in the world, holding her close.  
For the first time since she'd disappeared, Leo felt whole again.  
"Hey there" he muttered, burying his face in her hair.  
He could feel Penelope's shoulders shaking in his arms.  
"You came back for me" she sobbed, and Leo felt relief as he had never felt it before.  
"Of course I did." he whispered, holding her tightly, vowing he would never let her go again. 


	55. Chapter 55: Reunited

**Thank you, thank you, thank you for your reviews, follows, favourites,  
and just generally your support! You are awesome. It's that simple.  
Seriously, I don't deserve readers like you, you're way too kind!  
Okay, so some people seemed to fear that the previous chapter would be the last one  
of "The Light in the Sky" but don't worry, it's not! Obviously haha.  
There will still be a few more, I'm not quite sure yet how many because I changed the  
plot a bit, so I guess you'll just have to stick with me and wait and see.  
I promise to make it worth your while though! And also, when (Zeus forbid) the last  
chapter is posted, I will definitely inform you guys about it being the end.  
Just so you know.  
I don't own these characters! (This makes me sad)  
Right, so this chapter is a little fluffy, but come on, after all this heart break and fear  
and danger we can all do with a little fluffiness me thinks.  
And who doesn't like Lenelope fluff anyway? (Don't answer that)  
So read on my friends, and tell me what you think!  
(::) Take a cookie on the way (::) **

Chapter fifty-five: Reunited  
~Leo's POV~

Despite Hecate's warning not to linger, Leo couldn't bring himself to let go of Penelope. The fact alone that she was there, _right here_ in his arms, breathing and alive, was enough to surrender him  
incapable of mobility. And then of course it just felt so good to have her close to him again.  
She was still shaking, whether from sobs or cold Leo didn't know, and he rubbed his hands on her back, trying to warm her up before remembering that he didn't have the ability to heat up his palms  
anymore. A fleeting sensation of discomfort swept over him at that, but then the whole temple rumbled and he forgot all about it.  
"Come on, we have to get out of here" Leo said and with regret loosened his grip on Pen.  
The moment he did so, she swayed dangerously, and Leo had to reach out to stop her from falling.  
Silently he scolded himself for not thinking of the fact that Penelope would probably be extremely weak right now, having just come back from the dead and all.  
"Do you think you can walk if you lean on me?" he asked her and she nodded, her face tight.  
Was she in pain? He wanted to find out, but there was no time. Already bits of ceiling started to crumble to the floor around them, and frantically Leo looked around for a hallway.  
Yet he couldn't find one.  
"Here" Pen said, tugging on his arm and motioning over to a dark stretch of wall. A very solid dark stretch of wall as far as Leo could see.  
"Are you sure?" he asked, raising his voice over the noise of falling stone. Pen nodded.  
They ran over to the wall and just before they crashed into it, it disappeared, revealing a dark  
corridor. As quick as he could, Leo hauled himself and Penelope along the passage, dodging odd bits of rock as the whole building started to disintegrate. But it wasn't merely crumbling to the ground, it was partly disappearing, as if being sucked into an endless void.  
Somehow Leo got the feeling that getting caught in that void would be much worse than being crushed by stone, and so he tried to run even faster, fighting against the pulling sensation that had gripped his body from behind. He would not lose now.  
There! Finally, there was a shimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, dark light but definitely _outside.  
_With a huge effort, Leo and Penelope sprinted the last few metres, and only just managed to jump out of the door at the end of the corridor before the whole temple gave a loud sighing sound and vanished into the night, far more peacefully than it's falling-apart inside should have allowed.  
They were lying flat on the grass, breathing heavily, while Leo noticed dimly that not only the temple had gone, but the rest of the ruins as well. This wasn't important though at the moment.  
His lungs still burning, he turned to Penelope, who was lying on her back, her eyes closed.  
For one terrible moment Leo feared that the exhaustion had been too much for her, and he shook her shoulder.  
"Pen! Can you hear me?!"  
She didn't answer first but then croaked ,with her eyes still closed. "Ow, Leo, that's kind of painful."  
Relieved, Leo let go of her, and helped her sit up.  
For the first time since her reawakening, their eyes properly met.  
"Hey there" Leo smiled, and Penelope smiled back "Hey there."  
Gently, he pulled her close and kissed her, very softly on the lips. He could feel them forming into a smile underneath his own.  
They stayed like that for a precious moment, the night air cool on their faces. Leo didn't register the fact that it had gotten dark far earlier than it should have. He didn't really register anything at all except the girl in front of him.  
Finally, they broke apart, and an unspoken agreement to find shelter passed between them. They travelled a little way away, until they found another cave-like formation in the hillside.  
Here, they crawled in and almost as soon as they had entered, Penelope slumped against the back wall with her eyes closed.  
The moonlight shone in through a crack in the ceiling, and Leo was able to get a good look at Pen.  
She looked different. Inside the temple, Leo had thought that her appearance had gone back to normal, but the Mist of the building had blinded his vision.  
In fact, Penelope didn't look very healthy at all. Her hair had lost its usual purplish glint caused by  
moonlight, and her face was ashen, ghostly pale.  
She was thinner, too, and maybe Leo imagined it, but she seemed a little insubstantial, as if she hadn't quite returned from the realm of the souls yet.  
Just to be sure she was actually there, Leo reached out and touched her hand, which was cold but thankfully solid.  
This made Penelope open her eyes, and she regarded Leo with her normal piercing look, showing him that not everything about her had changed. Leo found he couldn't really care less if she was different in appearance than before, he only wanted her to be safe and alive.  
"Do I look that bad?" she asked, chuckling quietly. He realised he must have looked pretty worried, and quickly he rearranged his face into a happier expression, which was easy.  
"You look pretty awful. But it doesn't matter, you're back."  
"Such a charmer" Penelope rolled her eyes, and Leo laughed. Maybe she hadn't changed that much after all.  
But nevertheless there was a ghost of death in her face, and the only thing Leo could think of to get rid of it was rest.  
"Come on, get some sleep. I'll keep watch." he said, and Penelope must have been really weary, for she nodded without protest and curled up on the floor, laying her head in his lap.  
After a few minutes of silence, in which Leo thought Pen had gone to sleep, she spoke, her voice  
an odd mixture of melancholy and gratitude. "You saved my life again, Leo."  
He knew she felt bad, guilty even that he had risked his own well being for her for the third time now.  
"I had to" he said, stroking her dark hair absent-mindedly, while contemplating the world outside.  
"Why?" Pen asked, her voice sounding a little sad.  
"Because I love you." Leo answered simply, feeling glad as he finally told Penelope what he should have told her all along. They might not have known each other for an awfully long time, but  
there was no doubt in Leo's mind that he loved the girl lying next to him, loved her enough  
to risk his own life for her. And somehow he didn't think that Aphrodite had anything to do with it; that feelings like this ran a lot deeper.  
Penelope didn't answer for a very long time, and again Leo thought she had gone to sleep. Only when moon had wandered across the sky so much that its light no longer shone into their cave did she reply, as softly as the wind.  
"I love you too."  
They spoke no more after that, and finally Leo felt the rhythmic rise and fall of Penelope's chest which meant she had at last gone to sleep.  
As he sat there gazing out at the night sky through the cave's entrance, Leo couldn't help but think that the stars had never looked more beautiful than tonight.


	56. Chapter 56: Before the Earth

**Little filler/kinda important chapter for you here.  
I don't own PJO/HoO, as I'm sure you're all aware.  
Please enjoy this, thanks to everyone who reads!**

Chapter fifty-six: Before the Earth  
~Leo's POV~

When Leo woke, he felt cold. This wasn't a usual sensation for him, as normally his fire-affinity  
kept him constantly warm from the inside out.  
But now there was an icy chill on his skin, and it made him shiver with nervousness as much as cold.  
He blinked a few times, and carefully sat up. He'd been lying on the floor of the little cave, probably  
having fallen asleep during watch. Ah well, they were still alive.  
Instantly, the word _alive _gave him a jolt, and he whipped his head around to check on Penelope,  
to make sure she hadn't disappeared again.  
His heartbeat slowed down a little when he saw her curled up beside the spot where he'd gone to sleep, her body thin and her dark hair in a mess around her face.  
Smiling a little, Leo edged out of the cave and started to cook breakfast. It took him a while to  
get a fire going, and he could only be thankful for Piper, who'd once forgotten a box of matches in  
his room, which he'd pocketed on a whim and which now proved to be extremely useful.  
It was annoying having to make fire with little sticks instead of his fingers, but Leo knew he'd made  
the right choice every time he turned his head around to glance into the cave and see if Pen was up yet.  
Soon, he'd gotten the hang of striking a match and had a nice little fire going, which warmed up his  
skin and made him feel more comfortable. The weather was quite different from the last few days  
when it had been warm and sunny, whereas now it was cloudy and a chill hung in the air.  
Leo could only hope it would clear up before they got going.  
When he'd cooked his last provisions (cursing the fact that the magical plates and goblets hadn't fit  
inside his bag) he crawled back inside the cave and gently shook Pen's shoulder.  
"Hey" he whispered, when she stirred "Breakfast"  
"'Kay" Penelope mumbled, and she rolled onto her stomach. Leo knew this meant she was about to get up, and so he went back outside, where Penelope soon joined him, rubbing her eyes, which had  
dark shadows underneath them.  
"How d'you feel?" Leo asked, after they'd both had some bread with cooked mushrooms.  
Penelope didn't answer immediately, but chewed on her portion, as if unsure what to say.  
"Different." she finally concluded, and Leo raised his eyebrows at her, silently prompting her to go on.  
"I'm not sure how to describe it honestly. It's just so...different. Like I'm not the same as I was."  
Her eyes were clouded, and Leo knew the feeling deeply troubled her.  
"I think that's probably normal after, you know," Leo tried to avoid the word _dead _"what you've been through. I bet it'll go away again though." he tried to sound upbeat, but kinda failed.  
Pen smiled at him nevertheless, a little sadly.  
"I don't think it'll go away. It might get better, but it won't go away. I was _dead, _Leo. Dead." She said the words as if their meaning was only just starting to register.  
Leo didn't know what to say, but Pen was already continuing. "I mean, I knew it was going to happen. But when it did, it was so...it was like flying away, far away. You forget all about time and space, and then I was inside a huge dark cavern, before a three headed dog. Just as I was about to join a queue-" here she broke off, staring ahead of her, lost in memories.  
Leo's breakfast had turned to led in his mouth. He didn't want to hear this, but couldn't tell Pen to stop either. She needed him to help her figure things out.  
"What then?" he asked gently, taking her hand.  
"Then" she continued, speaking quieter "something held me back. Everything went black and the next thing I knew, I was inside a chamber, with a million little balls of light inside it."  
Her hand gripped his tighter, and Leo realised she was talking about the souls Hecate had shown him.  
"I was there for" Pen frowned "I can't remember how long. And then...pain. My whole body..it hurt so much, I couldn't..." Now tears filled her eyes, and Leo reached out but she turned her head away.  
"It was bad. But then it stopped and you were there."  
Her eyes met his, and they shared a long look, Penelope's glistening in the light.  
She opened her mouth to say something else, but seemed to think better of it and shut it again.  
Leo wanted to know what she'd been about to say, yet another thought occurred to him.  
"Wait, you were _in _the underworld? You saw Cerebus?" he demanded, his voice sharp.  
"Yes. Why?" Pen asked, confused.  
"But Hecate, she said..." "You spoke with my mother?!" Penelope asked, her voice so loud it scared  
a brown bird in a nearby tree, making it take off with a rustle of earth-coloured wings.  
"Yeah" Leo said, slightly taken aback. He launched into the story of what had happened to him  
before Pen had come back, and as he spoke, her eyes got wider and wider, whether from amazement

or horror, Leo didn't know.  
"...And then the pieces of ash started to fly around wildly, Hecate warned me you might not" Leo paused, unsure how to say it. "What?" Pen asked and he said, hurriedly "might not be the same, as er, before. And then you were there, and, well, you know the rest."  
Neither of them spoke. Penelope seemed lost for words, as she absent-mindedly stroked the grass  
beneath her fingers.  
Leo wondered what she was thinking of.  
"You gave up your fire. For me." Pen whispered, so quietly Leo almost didn't hear it.  
She sounded hollow, as if she couldn't believe that she'd caused him so much trouble. Her head was  
turned away, and when she spoke again, her voice was full of shame.  
"Hecate should never have created me. I wasn't supposed to be alive, and it would have been best  
if it had gone the way the Fates wanted it." her words made Leo feel sick. How could she think so  
little of herself?  
"And you, Leo" she continued, getting up and turning around to look at the mountains in the distance. "Do you even realise how much pain and trouble I've brought upon you?! Atlanta, Talos,  
Moros, and now you've lost one of your greatest powers because of _me! _You should never have  
saved me! You should have let me stay dead, because then I could never have hurt you again!"  
Penelope was yelling now, and it made Leo feel angry all of a sudden as well.  
He sprang to his feet, his hands clenched.  
"Are you even listening to what you're saying!? You keep going on about how you shouldn't be alive, and how it would be better if you weren't here, but guess what, _Penelope,_ you _are _alive,  
you _are _here, and you'd better learn to deal with it! I didn't risk my life for you so you could go around feeling sorry for yourself for the rest of your life!"  
This made Pen whip around, her dark hair flying and her pallid face come alive with anger that flushed her cheeks.  
"Excuse me?! You think I'm feeling sorry for myself?! You think that's what this is about?!"  
"Yeah I do!" Leo shouted back, taking a step forward, kicking away the rest of their breakfast. He didn't know what made him so angry, but he couldn't hold it back any longer.  
"You should be _happy _you're alive! Not everybody gets to come back from the dead you know?!  
What do you think Percy and Annabeth would say? They're in _Tartarus _for Zeus' sake, and they're  
probably dealing with it better than you are!"  
He knew what he was saying wasn't true, that Penelope had barely said anything about coming back  
alive, that he was accusing her of wrongs she hadn't done. But it felt like there was some fire back inside him, and he relished the feeling, completely ignoring the fact that it might hurt someone. All the anxiousness he'd held back the past few days, all his anger at the world, the gods, at Penelope herself came out of him, and he realised what the real reason was why he was shouting like this.  
And then he noticed that Pen hadn't yelled anything back. That she was standing there staring at him  
with disbelief in her face, her mouth opened in horror.  
When she spoke, her voice was barely a croak. "What did you say about Percy and Annabeth?"  
All Leo's rage drained out of him. She didn't know yet. He'd completely forgotten to mention it, which made him feel like a horrible friend altogether.  
As the anger left him, a new weight settled on his shoulders, making him feel like he wanted to succumb to it and sink into the ground for all eternity.  
"They...fell. After we went to get Annabeth from Arachne's chamber. The whole room was falling apart, and there was this great pit and we..Annabeth told us to secure the Parthenos...but she was still attached to some spider web and it..pulled her in, Percy grabbed her, but it was too strong.  
They fell together. They're gone."  
His words came out blurred together, as his voice cracked.  
All of a sudden the day around him seemed as dreary and cold as before. It was all his fault.  
Within two strides, Penelope was there in front of him, and she wrapped her arms around him, tight.

He could feel her breathing in deeply, as if she was trying to keep herself from panicking.  
"It's okay" she whispered, stroking one hand through his hair. "It's okay, they'll be okay. We can meet them in Epirus, and we'll save them."  
Leo nodded stiffly. "I opened..the cookie." he mumbled, barely audible, but Pen seemed to hear him.  
She leant back a little and put her hands either side of his face.  
"Listen to me, Leo Valdez." her tone was firm. Her eyes captured his and their intensity made everything else fade into the background. "It wasn't your fault. You are the greatest friend anybody could have, so don't you even dare go blaming yourself. Understood?" She sounded almost like a teacher, and Leo felt the urge to smile.  
"Okay." he said.  
"So, we'll make a deal: I won't go on about having died, and you won't blame yourself for what happened to Percy and Annabeth, okay? We'll get them back, I can promise you that."  
It was amazing how she could convince him of even the most impossible ideas. Maybe she'd inherited some of her mother's charmspeak. Or maybe she simply knew him well enough.  
"Listen" Leo mumbled, shamefaced. "I didn't mean what I shouted at you. Of course you can talk about what happened, in fact you should. I'm sorry."  
Penelope smiled at him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Now that the anger had gone from her face, the pale deathly look had returned, and it pained Leo to see it.  
"No, you were right. We have to move on. That's part of our life in this world, if we don't learn to leave things behind, the pain will overthrow us. I don't want that to happen to you and me."  
Leo nodded, and they stayed like that a little while longer, their arms wrapped around each other.  
It almost felt like having his fire power back again.  
Some while later, Leo noticed that Pen was leaning more heavily against him, and that her face was drawn. He himself felt like crap as well, and so he suggested staying one more night in the cave, just to make sure they were back to their usual strength again before continuing their travel to Epirus. Penelope nodded relievedly at this suggestion, and they spent the rest of the day thinking of  
ways they could travel. Leo found some wild berries which he thought he'd seen grow at Camp Half-Blood, and they were both so hungry they scoffed them down without thinking.  
It wasn't until later, when they both lay curled up against each other in the cave, that Leo realised their mistake.  
A terrible laugh filled his mind, gleeful and merciless.  
_Such a fool, Leo Valdez. You have learnt nothing.  
_Berries grew on bushes.  
_You brought back a valuable pawn into my game, without me even having to force you.  
_Bushes were plants.  
_Heroes are so easily fooled. A little birdie told me all about your adventure.  
_Plants grew on earth. On Earth. On the Earth.  
_Sleep now, little hero, and when you awake, see your world in ruins.  
_No! Leo thought desperately, trying to get up, but the berries he'd eaten immobilised him with sleepiness, and so he couldn't fight the roots that had started to break through the ground around him, he couldn't even open his mouth to warn Penelope.  
How could this be happening to them? He thought groggily, as the roots closed around his middle and started to drag him into the ground. They'd only just been reunited...  
Sleep clouded his eyes, and he tried to stay awake, but it was impossible.  
The last thing he saw was Penelope being dragged under by roots as well, and then the damp darkness of the earth swallowed him up.  
His eyes fell shut, and he could feel himself loosing consciousness.  
_Help _was his last thought before he fell into a deep, deep sleep. _  
Help._


	57. Chapter 57: Under the Ground

**Ohmygods, 190 reviews!  
Do you realise we only have TEN to go until freakin' ****200****?!  
That is just way too awesome. You guys are the very, very best!  
I doubt we'll reach two hundred with this chapter (even though we would if only half of the people who favourite this would review, hehe * hint hint *)  
but no matter when or even if not, I love you all anyway.  
This chapter is kinda scary-ish in my opinion. The next will be in the same setting.  
Would you guys like ****Penelope's POV**** again?  
And also, thanks to **_**Em **_**for reminding me what Leo still has to tell Pen. I was planning on doing a scene where he does, but I completely forgot, so thanks ;)  
Okay, I don't own anything you recognise (except Penelope, as you would recognise her from previous chapters I guess, so this Disclaimer's a bit senseless).  
Enjoy! **

Chapter fifty-seven: Under the Ground  
~Leo's POV~

Darkness. Complete darkness.  
That was all Leo could see when he woke up. He felt groggy, like he was recovering from a bad  
bout of flu. Only this situation was so much worse.  
His head felt clouded, but he could still remember what had happened. The berries making him  
lose consciousness, the strong roots coming out of the earth like skeletal hands, dragging him under... After that he'd blacked out.  
When the fog had cleared a bit from his mind, he felt the ground beneath him. It was damp and hard enough to be stone, but the crumbly quality of it made Leo realise it was actually earth. His hand shot out in front of him, only to bang against a ceiling maybe half a metre above his body.  
_No, oh no. Please not this.  
_Leo could feel his breath quickening, as the image of him sealed in a tiny chamber miles underneath the surface burnt into his mind. Forcing himself to breathe in slowly and exhale the same way, Leo tried to stay calm.  
_Penelope _he thought, and turned his head to look around for her before remembering that it was completely dark. Instead, he let his hands wander, groping around his tiny earth made cell. It was just long enough for his feet to fit, but too low to allow him to sit up. The best he could do was lift his torso a few inches before he banged against the ceiling.  
He couldn't even turn around...  
_Focus! _He told himself, and continued feeling out the space as best as he could with only his hands. Suddenly, his right hand touched something soft and warmer than its surroundings. _Oh gods, please don't let this be maggots. _Leo prayed silently, before squishing the thing a little. It stirred, and Leo got hold of it more tightly.  
There were three things actually, the middle one slightly longer than the other two, and he could just barely feel their ends, which had a hard side. _Fingertips _Leo realised.  
"Pen?" he whispered, afraid to open his mouth least some sort of earth worm might fall into it. His voice sounded muffled, and he repeated the word, trying to talk louder. "Pen?"  
He could hear an odd scuffle, as if a person was moving near him. And then:  
"Leo?!"  
"Pen!"  
"Where are you? I can't see!" Penelope's voice had a panicky edge to it, and Leo tried to feel some other part of her, but he couldn't. They must be separated by a thin but strong wall of dirt, with only a little gap in it for their hands.  
"Can you feel my fingers?" he asked, and the fingertips he was holding wiggled a little.  
"Yes! Oh gods, Leo what happened?! Where are we? Wait, I'll try to get u-" Leo was about to shout wait but apparently Penelope had already tried sitting up, as there was a muffled _thunk _and her fingers twitched in pain.  
"Ow!" she muttered, before it seemed to dawn on her why she'd hit her head, and where they were.  
"What the- oh no. No no no no. Too small..This is too tight."  
With a jolt Leo remembered that Penelope was slightly claustrophobic. He'd once found her locked inside the Demeter's cabins' tool shed (Zeus knew why) and it had taken a while to calm her down.  
He knew she was probably freaking out over there.  
"Listen, Pen, you have to stay calm. It'll be okay, you hear me? I'll figure a way out. Somehow."  
Leo said to her, trying to sound reassuring and firm, and not the way he really felt, afraid and shaky.

Apparently his speech was having no effect on Pen whatsoever, for he heard little thunks, like fists hitting the dirt walls.  
"It won't open, Leo! Can't breathe...too tight...we'll suffocate! We can't-" she cut off, and for a horrible moment Leo pictured her hyperventilating and blacking out, but when the cold voice spoke inside his mind, he knew why Penelope had gone silent.  
_Welcome, little demigods, to my humble domain.  
_"Gaia!" Leo yelled, and smacked his fists against the ceiling as well, trying to get to the goddess, to hurt her for doing this to them.  
_You are wasting your efforts, son of Hephaestus. My embrace cannot be broken unless I am willing to let you go, and as you might understand, I am not.  
_"What do you want from us?" Penelope hissed.  
_You have regained a little of your strength I see, daughter of Hecate. But do not cherish it, it will leave you soon, for this is what I want: Your strength, your powers, your own spirit I will extract from your bodies while you lie here, until there is nothing left of you but empty shells. And then I shall rise. You see, my little pawns, the Blood of Olympus is not merely the blood of demigods, it is their very heart and soul, that are filled with belief and hope in the Olympians. This is what will resurrect me. And now, I finally have what I have waited for for so long. Soon I shall wake, and my children will rule the world beside me!  
_"You're mad" Leo spat, trying hard to keep the horror from his voice. "Our friends will find us. The others will defeat you!"  
Gaia laughed, a more terrible sound than anything Leo had ever heard. It reminded him of his mother's death, of a blazing workshop and Esperanza Valdez's screams as she burned.  
But his anger did not strengthen him, instead it seemed to drain out of him, until he was weaker than before. "What?" he muttered, as he almost blacked out again.  
Gaia was still laughing.  
_Oh yes, I ask you, get angry at me, Leo Valdez. The more you feel the more I can suck out of you. Think of your mother, of how I killed her. Let the anger take hold, strengthen me and you will be with her soon enough.  
_"No, Leo!" Penelope's voice came from beside him, and her fingertips pressed into his. He focused on this, not allowing any other thought to enter his mind.  
_And as for your friends finding you _Gaia continued _I am afraid they have no chance of doing so in time. They are heading for Epirus, to save the Athena girl and Poseidon's son, although those two are almost lost as well. But you see, little heroes, you are not in Epirus. I have taken you to where I plan to rise, stronger than ever before: The ancient and glorious city of Athens. _  
No, no it couldn't be true. Percy and Annabeth would be okay. The others would come get them. Yet doubt sneaked into Leo's mind, as he realised the others would be waiting for them in Epirus. And even if they came to look for them, they would probably look in Turkey, and not miles and miles away in Athens.  
"Leo" Penelope whispered, her voice terrified but with a note of resilience in it. "We'll survive this. We'll fight this somehow. There must be a way."  
_Oh, there is a way _the cruel voice of the earth goddess filled their minds once more. _But the joke is, Penelope Rider, that this one gave it up. His fire might have gotten you out of here, yet it is gone, for which I must thank you, really. You received it as the crucial blessing to restore your soul to your body, yet you cannot use it as such. And your own powers have not yet returned, but before they will, I shall seize them. So you see, there really is no option left for you anymore. Spend the rest of your week alive regretting your choices, little heroes.  
_And with that the voice went silent, and Leo knew somehow that Gaia was no longer with them, but that she had gone on to terrorise others for the moment.  
It was even worse than Leo had thought, and hopelessness filled him, making him feel even more drained. They were both silent for a long, long time and Leo dimly noticed the dampness of the ground chilling his bones.  
"We have to fight" Pen's whisper barely reached his ears. As he felt her fingers press into his, a tiny bit of willpower resurfaced inside him.  
Leo Valdez would not give up like this. He hadn't gone through everything he had only to end up slowly dying in some dirty hole that an old hag had dug for him.  
He would save them, he would save them all. The world would fall to fire, for even if it no longer burnt on his skin, it was still in his heart.  
"I'll get us out of here, Pen." he said, and his words cut through the silence like sharp blades.  
"I swear it on the River Styx."


	58. Chapter 58: Warming Memories

**Only four more reviews till 200!  
200****th**** reviewer will get the dedication for the next chapter :)  
Thank you all so much for reading this story and commenting, and putting up  
with all the fluff and danger and whatever comes along.  
To **_**Alice: **_**Thanks so much :) I'm glad you like Pen, and my plot line, your review was lovely to read!  
Of course all the others were as well.  
So I don't own PJO/HoO, as I'm almost certain we all know by now.  
Cheers, and please enjoy and review! **

Chapter fifty-eight: Warming Memories  
~Penelope's POV~

In. Out. In. Out.  
This was the rhythm to which Penelope had to force herself to breathe, as she lay in the dark, dank underground cell. It was difficult not to panic, as the shudders of claustrophobia racked her body.  
She'd never known that she was afraid of small spaces until that day she'd somehow gotten herself locked inside the Demeter's cabin's tool shed.  
Horrible scenarios of suffocation had played in her head, and she'd been curled up on the floor until Leo had found her. After that it had taken nearly ten minutes to calm her down, Leo telling her it was okay again and again, while holding her in his arms.  
How she wished that could happen right now as well. It was almost more unbearable than the tiny space, having Leo so close to her, yet so unreachable, except for the tiny spot where their hands met. They hadn't spoken since Leo had sworn to get them out of here, something Pen wished he hadn't done.  
_An oath to keep with a final breath.  
_The line of the prophecy played around her head and all she could do was pray that it wouldn't be this oath, that it wasn't Leo's final breath.  
But somehow even praying to the gods seemed pointless to her. They were inside the earth, shut away in Gaia's realm, so closed off from everything that Pen doubted even the gods could reach them here. Not that her mother, or creator or whatever would care enough to rescue her anyway.  
Since she'd learned what Hecate had told Leo, Penelope felt hollow somehow. Even though she'd discovered the true reason of her existence before her death, she'd still made herself believe that the goddess _did _love her.  
That she'd only let Penelope meet her destiny because it was the only way to ensure her friends safety. But no, Hecate had been thinking solely of herself all the time.  
Apart from these dark thoughts, the cold was also starting to creep into Pen's body, which was still so weak, she could barely move. Coming back from the underworld, or land of souls or whatever had made her feel more empty than ever before, and still some vital part of her seemed to be missing.  
And the cold made everything worse. Penelope could feel Leo's fingertips trembling, he was shaking so violently. Without his fire-affinity, he would be feeling the cold a lot more than she was. She had to help him somehow, distract him from the icy feeling that was probably creeping into his skin.  
"Leo?" she asked, her voice slightly hoarse from thirst.  
He didn't answer immediately, but then a croak came back "Yeah"  
"How're you doing?"  
"Great. This is exactly what I was planning to do on vacation, didn't you know?"  
Penelope laughed softly, relieved.  
If Leo still had the strength to make sarcastic remarks, he was still holding up.  
"Nice spot, isn't it?" she commented, trying to sound casual.  
A little laugh came from beside her, but quickly stopped. The trembling in the fingertips resumed, even stronger than before.  
She had to think of something else to keep his thoughts of this horrible situation. Casting her mind around, Pen suddenly remembered something she'd wanted to ask Leo anyway.  
"Hey" she said, turning her head in the general direction of Leo's voice. "You never told me what I said that time the snake bit me."  
Silence. "It doesn't matter anymore Pen" Leo told her, and her heart stopped at the hopelessness in his voice. How could his mood change so quickly?  
Gaia, she decided. The earth goddess was sucking them dry, emptying them of any emotion or strength they had, until she was powerful enough to rise and they were dead.  
"Come on," Penelope said, her voice slightly edgy. "I want to know."  
A sigh came from beside her, and then Leo said "Fine, if you insist. You know those meds Coach Hedge gave you made you kinda loopy, right?"  
"They did?"  
"Holy Hephaestus, yeah." Leo now sounded a little amused, which was a good thing. "They made you all weird, like you were drunk or something. And I think they must have altered your, er, receptivity or something. Cause you" he laughed "you thought I was Annabeth."  
"What?!" Pen cried, a little horrified. The prospect of thinking Leo was Annabeth was kinda frightening, as she'd told Annabeth all about her feelings for him, even back then when they hadn't been as strong as they were now.  
"Yeah." Leo's voice now shook with suppressed laughter. "So you was all like 'Oh hiii, Annabeth, loog a' the preddy ligh's' and stuff like that"  
"Oh gods.."  
"And when Annabeth came in, you thought she was Chleo."  
Pen could feel her face reddening. At least the embarrassment made the cold go away a little. Still, she wasn't so sure if she still wanted to know what she'd told Leo back then. Yet Leo was already continuing.  
"Well, Annabeth or Chleo, whatever, she left and you said..er.." now Leo sounded embarrassed as well, which struck Pen as odd. Why would he be uncomfortable when she'd been the one all crazy and saying silly things?  
"Er, you asked me if I knew what else was pretty, except the lights."  
Oh no.  
"And what did I say...?" Penelope whispered, thinking she already knew the answer.  
"Leo." said Leo, before he elaborated "You said Leo, er, I was handsome. And nice. And funny. You said you were glad I was your friend." he rushed through this, obviously highly embarrassed.  
But somehow Penelope no longer felt like that. Instead she had to smile. It was all clear to her now, why Leo had been so upset when she'd said she didn't mean any of those things. She'd thought that she'd told him of her inexplicable feelings towards Percy, which, back then, had been a mystery.  
"It was true." she said, pressing her fingers against Leo's.  
Leo seemed taken aback as he said "It was? Even back then?"  
"Yeah" Penelope answered.  
"But I thought Percy..."  
"Jeesh, Leo, I _told _you. That was more like family, and it's obvious why I felt like that now. Poseidon's blessing, my purpose of keeping Percy alive, that's why I felt like that around him. But _you, _Leo, how I felt about you was so different. I mean, you saved me the very first time you met me, and about a billion times since then. We always had a really good time together, and even when we found out about me being part of the prophecy, you didn't treat me any different. Of course I liked you. Still do, in fact" Penelope added as an afterthought, grinning.  
Leo was silent. "Well, if you put it like that" he said slowly, and Penelope laughed.  
For a moment, their horrible situation seemed forgotten, and Pen felt like the earth around them had grown warmer and softer somehow in the light of their happy memories.  
If only Aphrodite could see her now, Penelope thought, remembering her encounter with the goddess of love. She had been right, of course, in some things she'd said, but completely wrong in others.  
Suddenly, Penelope heard a voice inside her head, but it wasn't Gaia's cold laugh.  
_As a matter of fact, I can see you right now.  
_Somehow, Aphrodite had managed to reach them. 


	59. Chap 59: Not for Anything in the World

**Holy Hephaestus, **_**207**_**! I'm so happy!  
Okay, so each and everyone of you deserves a chapter dedicated to them, but I promised this**

**to the 200****th**** reviewer, which was...:  
**_**I am Lara daughter of Hecate**_**!  
This chapter's for you, girl, hope you like it! This fits, as Pen is a daughter of Hecate as well ;)  
Also, I still don't own whatever Rick Riordan owns.  
I love you all, I hope you like this chapter, please note that there will be **_**at least**_** one more.  
Review!**

Warning: Reading this chapter might cause suffocation by overload of fluff.  
The author cannot be held responsible, as she herself nearly died writing it. 

Chapter fifty-nine: Not for Anything in the World  
~Leo's POV~

Of all the things Leo had ever thought he would die of, coldness had never been it.  
When you could control fire, make it appear at will, hypothermia simply wasn't something you would worry about. He'd been wrong.  
As he lay miles underneath the surface, in danger of being crushed by tons of dirt or suffocating,  
it was the cold that got to Leo. It creeped through his torn clothes and into his back, spreading through his whole body, making it shake violently at first, and then starting to paralyse it.  
Penelope had tried to take his mind of the feeling, he knew, and at first it had worked. But then it had come back, ten times as bad, and now all Leo could think of was how his heart was sure to stop beating, would soon be frozen to death.  
When the drowsiness came, he reckoned it was death, settling upon his body, finally taking him away from this misery. He didn't even try to fight, there was too little energy left inside him.  
Gaia had taken it all.  
As he lost consciousness, he wished that he could have seen daylight once more before dying.  
_"You are not dead, son of Hephaestus" a female voice, soft and beautiful, said "Not yet, anyway."  
Leo opened his eyes. He wasn't sure where he was as he was standing in a hazy fog, but it was definitely not the underground cell.  
Slowly, his surroundings solidified, and Leo saw a white pavilion, beautifully crafted, with a little white table and three chairs standing in the centre of it.  
And two of these chairs were occupied.  
When she saw him, Penelope got up and more or less hurled herself into his arms. He caught her, amazed at how solid she felt, or maybe they were both so mist-like that it didn't matter.  
The other person seated at the table smiled at this display of affection, her hair rippling around her face as it changed colour from blonde to red to brown and finally to almost the exact same shade of dark as Penelope's.  
"Aphrodite" Leo said, having met the goddess before.  
"Yes." Aphrodite smiled, and motioned for them both to sit down. They did so, and immediately Leo started to ask questions.  
"Where are we? Are we dead? Why are you here?" but he was cut off by Aphrodite's hand, which she held up to silence him.  
"There is no time, Leo, to answer all your questions. I have induced a trance for you, with the aid of Hypnos. You are not yet dead, though you will be soon, I am afraid. Yet there is still hope for  
your friends. So now you need to listen."  
Leo was about to protest, but Penelope laid a hand on his arm. "Please Leo" she said, and her voice was so serious and sad, that it shut Leo up. "We need to listen."  
"Good." Aphrodite smiled. "You two are a better pairing than I would have thought."  
"What do you mean?" Leo asked, unable to retain his curiosity.  
"Well, I had a very different path planned for you, Leo Valdez. If it had not been for Penelope's, ah, creation, we would not be having this conversation right now."  
Leo could feel Pen tense next to him. His face set. "Yeah, well, we are here, and I thought we didn't have a lot of time?"  
Aphrodite nodded, but she seemed lost in thought.  
"Yes, yes. We don't. Gaia is extracting all your powers as we speak, and she has already grown strong. If she succeeds in completely draining you, then the world will be destroyed."  
Leo and Penelope looked at her, expectantly. "Is there some way we can stop that from happening?" Pen asked.  
"I think so." the goddess answered. "You see, if Gaia does not get every last bit of power from you, she will not rise. At least not now, not empowered by you two. Your friends might still succeed in stopping her. But to achieve that, you must die."  
This took a moment to sink in.  
"What?!" Leo said "I thought you're trying to help us!"  
Aphrodite sighed, and for a moment she looked genuinely sad for them. "I am, Leo. But I'm afraid the only way to help you now is to save your friends. You yourself are already beyond any help."  
Leo heard the words, but couldn't accept them. Aphrodite was telling them they were as good as dead, but that there might be a chance to save the others. If they died. Yet that would mean that Pen would die, too, and hadn't Leo sworn to save her? Hadn't he just gone through hell to get her back?  
Penelope seemed to know what he was thinking, for she slipped her hand into his.  
"We need to do it, Leo." she whispered. He nodded, not meeting her eyes, he was too ashamed of himself. For failing her.  
He addressed the goddess "What do we have to do?"  
"Give up." she answered. "You see, Gaia is counting on you to keep fighting until the end. And through the strength you try to bring up, she will get the power to rise. That's her plan. So if you two give up now, before she can come by that last, crucial drop of Olympian Blood, she will be hindered."  
"How do we give up?" Penelope asked, her voice steady now. It seemed she'd accepted the prospect of what lay ahead. Maybe dying once made you no longer fear death.  
"You need to ask Thanatos to take your souls. Death is not affected by the Roman/Greek conflict, just as I am neither. This trance will last long enough for you to...say goodbye."  
Aphrodite gave them both a long searching look. Leo wanted her to go, but he still had one last question.  
"We're in Gaia's realm, completely shut off from everything. How did you reach us?"  
Aphrodite actually chuckled. "Heroes, so blind to the greatest powers of all. What am I the goddess of, Leo?"  
"Love" answered Leo, completely perplexed.  
"Exactly. And because of that, I can appear where true love exists. You might be physically and to a great part mentally separated from any help, but my power comes neither from your body, nor from your mind. It is your heart and your soul that draws me, and the connection between you two was enough to allow for me to appear. Hypnos, whose power also partly comes from the heart, after all, dreams are never random, helped a little. Yet I am talking too long, and there is too little time. Of course you may also choose to return to your underground prison, and fight, but then you will doom us all."  
And with that, the goddess was gone.  
Penelope and Leo looked at each other.  
They were no longer sitting on chairs, but on the floor of the pavilion, which was otherwise empty.  
"So, we're going to do it, huh?" Leo asked.  
Penelope nodded. "We have to. We're their only chance, even if it's just a slim one."  
"Yeah" Leo agreed, his heart heavy.  
He had to say it, before his courage left him again. "Pen, I'm sorry. I promised to save you, and I completely failed you. You only just got back, and now you're going to die again, and it's all my fault. I brought us those berries.."  
He was shut up by a finger on his lips.  
"Leo." Pen said, and there was an inexplicable smile on her face.  
"You didn't fail me, not in the slightest way. We can save the others, and maybe the world.  
And" she added, her eyes as bright as they'd been before her death "I think dying won't be so bad this time. After all, we're together."  
She was right, Leo realised. Dying together was definitely not the worst way to go.  
"You're right. We can do this, if we're together."  
They hugged, tightly. Leo never wanted to let go, yet he knew he had to, and soon. The mist around them was already beginning to get thicker.  
Suddenly he remembered something he had never asked Pen, something he'd completely forgotten about, as unforgettable as it should have been.  
"Pen" he said and pulled back looking her in the eye. "When I pulled you out of the water, that time back at the beach... "Yes?" "Well, you came round, for a second or so. And you looked at me and said my name. Leo. How did you know?"  
He'd expected her to be shocked, and for a moment confusion did seem to pass over her face, before she shrugged her shoulders.  
"Maybe I've always known it was you." she answered, as the mist swirled around them.  
Understanding seemed to pass between them, as Leo realised that Aphrodite had been right in saying heroes were blind to the greatest power of all. But maybe the same was true for gods and giants, and every other creature on this earth as well.  
When Penelope spoke to Thanatos, asking him to take their souls and guide them to the Underworld, Leo had his gaze fixed on her face, smiling slightly.  
A dark shape started to swoop down upon them, spreading its great dark wings. Thanatos, the god of Death, was coming to claim them.  
There was one last thing Leo wanted to say however.  
"Gaia was wrong."  
"What do you mean?" Penelope asked.  
"She told us to spend the rest of our time alive regretting the choices we've made." Leo held Penelope's gaze, those bright turquoise eyes as captivating as the first time he'd seen them.  
"But I wouldn't change a single thing. Not if that would mean not being here with you."  
It was probably the most emotional thing he'd ever said, yet he wanted Pen to know.  
Tears glistened in her eyes at this, and she kissed him, letting him know that she felt the same way.  
As they stood there, holding onto each other, he recalled what Aphrodite had said: I had a very different path planned for you, Leo Valdez.  
Maybe that one wouldn't have led him to this end, he thought, while gripping Pen's hand.  
But standing there with the mist swirling around his body, face to face with Death and the girl he loved by his side, Leo knew he wouldn't have chosen a different path, not for anything in the world. _


End file.
